Puzzling Romance: Xander and Vida
by MagCat
Summary: My shot at the Ars Amatoria Challenge. A look at the intense, sizzling, and sometimes puzzling relationship between Xander and Vida from PRMF. Rating for language use.
1. Theme 1: Friends

**SUMMARY:**My shot at the Ars Amatoria Challenge: A look at the intense, sizzling, and sometimes puzzling relationship between Xander and Vida from PRMF.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters from PRMF, or any of the Power Ranger incarnations for that fact, because if I did I would do some of my long-held dreams. For instance, I'd bring back some of my favorite characters for Ranger reunions or do short looks at what happened to past teams and couples or… okay, I'll stop and let you read on and enjoy… **NOTE**: This disclaimer is for the entire fic.!! If you need a reminder come back and look at this chapter and you'll see that in no way do I own Power Rangers!! Remember**: I Don't Own Power Rangers!!!**

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

_**Puzzling Romance**_

**(Starts after the episode "Petrified Xander")**

**Theme 1:**_**Friends**_

**_Rock Porium, October 25, 2006, 12:25 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Xander Bly threw himself into his "supervising chair" and picked up a skateboard magazine, thumbing through for a good article, but after a few minutes threw it onto the small table beside his chair. He chose instead to rest his chin in his hands and reflect on what just happened.

'Vida and I connected on a level that was completely unknown to both of us; a level that transpires mere friendship…' Xander's thoughts slowly drifted from the present into the mists of time where he found himself looking at a memory; the memory of his first meeting with Vida Rocca…

FLASHBACK

**_Briarwood Elementary School, September 25, 1996, 8:00 AM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Eight-year old Xander, clothed in light blue jean shorts, a dark green tee-shirt, and white sneakers, a backpack complete with a picture of the green Zeo Ranger on his back, stared up at the large school in front of him, his dark chocolate eyes wide in disbelief.

"Blimey… this school is a lot bigger than my old one…" he breathed in amazement, his accent more noticeable, taking in every detail from the black and white bricks to the light stone steps and light brown doors. Xander and his family had recently moved to Briarwood, CA from a small town on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia because his dad had gotten a new job as assistant engineer in the town. At first, Xander had been scared stiff in his new home, considering he had left behind everything that was familiar and come to a town where he knew absolutely no one. However, he had lightened up considerably when he had become best friends with his next-door neighbor Chip Thorn almost off the bat.

"I wonder where Chip is…" Xander mused as he started to walk towards the steps of the school, a bit scared to start second grade at a brand new school. Xander had almost reached the doors – leaving a crumbled and dust-like path of dry leaves behind him – when he felt something tackle him around the waist. Xander let out an "oomph" as he fell, his left knee scraping the ground.

"Gotcha Chip!" came a girl's voice, the source currently sitting on top of Xander. Xander tried to get up but didn't want to risk hurting the girl. So, rather than doing anything he just lay there for a few minutes. The girl, surprised that her prey hadn't responded to her tackle, asked, "Chip, are you okay?"

This time Xander sensed the girl wasn't ready for any response from him and suddenly moved, reversing the situation so that he was on top and the girl was on the ground. On doing so, he found himself staring into the cool gray eyes of a girl who seemed to be the same age as him with black hair in a messy ponytail. She had on torn blue jeans, a light blue tee shirt, and white sneakers, no backpack to speak of with her.

"You're… you're not Chip," the girl whispered fearfully, finding herself staring at a boy who had dark brown eyes and light brown hair; definitely not the same colors as Chip's eyes or hair. She realized with a shock that a complete stranger was on top of her; someone she had no clue about at all.

"Of course I'm not Chip," Xander began, frowning, and when he realized the position he was in quickly got up. He offered a hand in apology to the girl, but was surprised when she angrily swatted the proffered hand away and got up herself, brushing the dead leaves off her shirt.

"I'm Xander, Xander Bly," Xander continued, hesitatingly offering his hand once more to the girl, now as a gesture of friendship while ignoring the pain emanating from his knee. The girl appeared as if she was going to swat the offer away once more, but two shouts sounded from behind her and Xander.

Xander looked behind him and grinned when he saw his new best friend running toward him, his hazel-green eyes sparkling underneath messy dark red hair, dressed in dark blue jeans, a dark orange tee-shirt with a lightning bolt on it, and white sneakers, his book bag on his back. Next to him ran a girl who looked exactly the same as the girl to Xander's right except for the fact that her black hair was down to her shoulders and not in a ponytail, and she wore light blue jeans, a pale pink tee shirt, and gray sneakers, her book bag on her back and another book bag – Xander presumed it to be his attacker's – clutched in her hand.

"Xander, there you are dude!" Chip exclaimed in excitement as he saw his new friend. He and Xander gave each other high-fives and watched as the girl with her hair down began to brush the leaves and dirt that had been missed by the other girl off.

"Madison stop treating me like… like a girl!" the girl in question whined, wrenching her arm away from the other girl's hands, grabbing her book bag from where the other girl had dropped it in the process.

The girl who had just been yelled at rolled her eyes and, turning to Xander, stuck out her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Madison Rocca and my sister is…"

Her sister interrupted Madison by yelling, "Don't tell him my name! I can tell him myself!" On getting a stern look from Madison, she loudly sighed and turned to face Xander, who had just finished shaking Madison's hand.

She stuck her hand out towards the boy, her gray eyes showing a mix of anger and embarrassment at the current situation. "I'm Vida Rocca; Madison and I are twins. Sorry I jumped you."

Xander, grinning, took Vida's hand and both felt a small shock of some kind run through them, almost as if they had had contact with electricity. They stared at each other, each wondering what had just happened.

Chip looked back and forth between his two friends, and moved to break them out of their self-induced trance but Madison pulled him aside.

"Let me go!" Chip whispered, anger lacing his words.

Madison merely rolled her eyes again and said, "Leave them alone; they seem to be connecting. You know that Vida isn't friends with just anyone."

Chip looked from Madison to Xander and Vida, who were still staring at each other, unreadable expressions on their face, and back to Madison. "You're right," he breathed, his eyes meeting with Madison's.

Xander and Vida broke contact and with Madison and Chip watching Xander said, "I think that this is the start of a very cool friendship."

Vida nodded in agreement and, grinning, threw her arm around Xander's shoulder, cheerfully told him, "Right-O, Xander. You and I are now friends; I know that we'll be good friends. I can just feel it."

Madison and Chip joined the two new friends, Chip throwing his arm over Xander's other shoulder and Madison doing the same with Vida and together the group of four walked towards the school's front doors as the late bell rang, signaling they had ten minutes to get to class.

FLASHBACK ENDS

'Little did Vida and I know how well our prophecies would turn out…' Xander mused as he absentmindedly rubbed the exact spot on his left knee where Vida's tackle had caused his knee to scrape the ground. In his mind the scrape was a minor wound from an event that resulted in their becoming friends… in fact, the best of friends.


	2. Theme 2: Routine

**A/N: **Just wanted to say that unless stated otherwise, each theme is not connected in any way to the previous theme. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place sometime after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 2: _Routine_ **

**_Rock Porium, November 10, 2006, 11:00 AM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

"What are you doing?" Nick Russell asked, olive green eyes questioning his friend's unnatural obsession with looking between the blinds that covered the window in their boss's office. Chip and Nick were currently organizing the store's affairs in mounds of paperwork while Madison was taking care of customers at the register. Phineas and Leelee were both off that day, Xander was stocking records and extra boxes of CDs in the back of the store, and Vida was doing her job as head DJ. Correction: Nick was doing the paperwork while Chip was supposedly "observing" from inside the office through the meager space offered by the splitting of two window blinds. Their boss, Toby, had taken some time off due to a family emergency, somehow thinking to take his scuba gear with him as well. He had left orders that Xander be in charge of the store, with Vida be his second-in-command, upon which his other employees had inwardly groaned, knowing that an eruption was liable to happen at any time. Phineas hadn't taken notice of the meaning of Toby's orders, and had told Xander that he'd do a great job, getting a glare from Vida for his trouble. To make matters worse, Toby had said that he would be gone for at least three days, meaning that any number of fights could break out at any time between the green Minotaur and the pink Sprite over any trifle matter.

"Watching," Chip absently replied, his hazel-green eyes observing the action outside the window, not caring if he got the paperwork done; he was too interested in what was going on between Xander and Vida.

"Shit!" Chip suddenly exclaimed, startling Nick, who had never heard his friend curse before. Chip desperately moved from his position to another, and, on finding nothing, moved to another one, hoping to get his object of interest back.

"What exactly are you watching that has you so upset that you cursed?" Nick carefully questioned, picking his words with precision because he had no clue what Chip was spying on, or whom for that matter. Nick tried to get back to the form in front of him, but had a feeling that it would be very hard to do so after Chip's outburst.

Chip opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted when the sound of the door opening, which caused both young men to stop their tasks. Madison quickly stepped inside and, after quietly closing the door went over to Nick, giving him a kiss on the cheek in greeting. She then ran over to where Chip was, and after nodding to him where he should stand opened two blinds and began to observe what was going on outside, Chip following her actions.

"Maddie, what are you doing in here?" Nick questioned, knowing all concentration he had had on finishing his work was completely shot to hell thanks to his girlfriend. "Who's taking care of the customers?"

Madison looked back at Nick for a moment and responded, "I put the lunchtime sign up on the door, saying we'd be back in thirty minutes." She then returned to her observations, not noticing that Nick had moved beside her and casually draped an arm over her shoulders.

"Do we even have a lunchtime sign?" Nick questioned, his voice holding a suspicious tone to it. Madison once more looked up at her boyfriend and replied; "Now we do." She then returned to her spying once more.

Nick sighed and asked, "Chip, let me in on what you and my girlfriend are currently doing." Chip started on being asked for an explanation, and knowing that he wouldn't be able to do a good job nudged Madison, who, irritated at being interrupted from task at hand glared at him. On receiving another glare from Chip she sighed in resignation and, closing down her spying post turned to face Nick's curious gaze.

"The reason that I came in here, put up the sign on the door, and the reason that Chip and I are spying from in here is that Xander was flirting with Vida while she was mixing records at her DJ station. Vida put down her records and yelled back at him, something along the lines of him being an egotistical pig."

Nick rolled his eyes and replied, "I know that; what's so odd about that? Xander and Vida do that every day. It's their daily routine."

"That's just it; it's their daily routine," Chip added, closing down his post to look at Nick, giving him a look that screamed, "Duh."

"I still don't get it," Nick continued, removing his arm from around Madison's shoulders and crossing his arms, completely oblivious to Chip's look.

Madison sighed and said, "Nick, listen: Xander and my sister have a routine that they perform daily; sometimes more than once a day and sometimes just a one timer. Xander flirts with her, and she retaliates with scathing words that unknowingly wound both of them. However, today when I was watching them I saw Xander change the routine. Sure, he flirted with Vida and she shot back with her typical comments, but then he did something that left her speechless; he shifted the battlefield."

"How?" Nick asked, now in shock at hearing that Vida had been speechless, something he knew didn't happen too often. His interest piqued he moved to open two of the window blinds, and didn't notice as both Madison and Chip did the same. However, Nick was unable to spot Xander or Vida.

"Well…" Madison began but was interrupted when Chip gave a yelp of excitement, causing the two to look over at him.

"Chip, what's wrong?" Nick and Madison asked worriedly, both taking their eyes off the main store and focusing them on Chip.

"It's not what's wrong with the battlefield being shifted; it's what's right. It's what's routine," Chip replied. However, on getting confused looks from his friends he continued, "Xander and Vida have gone back to their routine, but with one small difference that has shifted the battlefield and changed the routine ever so slightly." Chip pulled on the string that controlled the blinds, opening them and revealing Xander and Vida arguing. Nick and Madison looked closely at the scene in front of them, and on getting what Chip had said nodded in agreement with Chip's statement.

Although Xander and Vida were angrily throwing insults at each other, hand gestures exemplifying their words, the difference lay in their appearance. Xander was sporting a dark purple kiss on his cheek (consequently the same shade of lipstick that Vida was wearing that day) and Vida had on a silver locket in the shape of phonograph (a fact that few but Xander knew: Vida loved phonographs). Things were certainly back to normal; in fact, they were back to the normal routine.


	3. Theme 3: Take My Hand

**A/N: **Hey, I'm really sorry that this is so late, but I've been really busy with other things in my life. Enjoy, and I'll hopefully update soon!!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Set after "Gatekeeper, Part 2")**

**Theme 3: _Take My Hand _**

**_Rock Porium, November 12, 2006, 5:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Xander and Vida were the only ones left in Rock Porium, as Toby had decided to leave the two of them in charge while he gave his other employees the day off. Xander and Vida hadn't been happy about this turn of events; after all, it just gave them more work to do. It also meant that Vida had less time than usual to operate her DJ table and produce quality music, while Xander had less time to do his skateboard stunts to pull in customers. The rangers were all still recovering from their fight against Morticon a few days ago, their energy supply slowly building back up to normal. Xander and Vida weren't happy with Toby; they were just as tired as Nick, Madison, and Chip, and yet they were stuck manning the store.

"Guys, where are all the customers?" Toby questioned as he ran out of his office, forms in one hand and what appeared to be a bundle of pens in his other hand. His short light brown hair was unruly as usual, and his normally placid dark gray eyes were full of anger.

"What customers, boss?" Xander wearily asked, leaning on the counter that had the register on top, yawning widely after he finished giving Toby an answer to his question.

"My point exactly!" Toby exclaimed, walking up to Xander and, after depositing his work on the counter glared at his head employee. "Vida usually draws in customers with her music and you do some skateboard tricks out front and post fliers up over town; why are you here?!"

Xander stared back at Toby and replied, "Don't you remember, boss? You gave Nick, Chip, and Maddie the day off and left Vida and me in charge of the store, which means that she and I have to handle stocking all the arrivals, manning the register, helping any stray customers that wander in, and so on; tasks that are usually divided up between the five of us. That means that Vida and I can't play our music or do skateboard tricks out front because there would be no one to do all the inside work." He watched Toby warily, looking for any sign of understanding from his Jimmy Hendrix-obsessed boss, but on seeing nothing groaned, putting a hand to his forehead.

"You mean that there aren't any customers because you and Vida are stuck inside doing other tasks instead of doing your regular duties?" Toby slowly asked, a hand rubbing his chin as he thought about the current situation. Xander looked up from glaring at the forms on the counter and stared in disbelief at his boss; had he actually understood what Xander had told him?

After a few minutes of silence, Toby shook his head no and continued, "Naw; can't be. You and Vida can handle everything; after all, you two are the best employees I have. Now, get to work!!" With these words, Toby gathered up the forms and pens he had put on the counter and walked over to his office with the pens somehow balancing on his head; something only Toby could pull off. Xander once more groaned and slammed his head onto the counter, this time coming up in pain as he realized that his action was probably not the best one to take.

"What was that for, Xander?" Vida asked as she came from the back of the store, where she had been putting away the arrival of packages.

"Oh, let's just say that Toby's really starting to grate on my nerves…" Xander wearily mumbled, rubbing his temples in a vain attempt to take care of the headache that had formed when he had slammed his head on the counter.

"How come? Oh, let me guess: he said that because you and I are the best employees he's ever had we could handle everything, including drawing in customers; right?" Vida sarcastically asked, earning a withering glare from Xander.

"Exactly," Xander darkly replied, murderous thoughts of what he could do to Toby in the future running through his mind. After a few minutes, with the two of them looking at anything but each other Xander suddenly snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Got it!"

Vida stared at him and, lifting one eyebrow, asked, "Got what, exactly?"

"The answer to our problem," Xander confidently replied, moving out from behind the counter to face his fellow ranger. "We just need to convince Toby to do some of the work while we supervise."

"And just how do you think that we can pull that off?" Vida questioned, her eyes showing that she loved the idea but the frown on her face showing her doubts about the plan.

"We need to fool Toby into thinking something's happening with us, making him so worried about his star employees that he will offer to do our work. We then protest, but he insists that the person whom the other's concerned about should supervise the other while he does all of the work. Then, when the work's done we can go back to our usual jobs and draw in the customers. Sound like a good plan?" Xander explained, leaving the decision up to Vida.

Vida's frown deepened as she thought about the idea, wondering whether it was plausible, and after reflecting on it nodded and, smiling at Xander, said, "Yep; I think we can pull this plan off, no problem."

Xander flashed her one of his best smiles and Vida found herself blushing a little. 'Damn, why in the hell am I blushing?! This isn't normal; not at all!'

"V, you okay? You look a bit flushed," Xander asked, concern taking over his confident persona as he came closer to Vida and placed a hand on her forehead, checking to see if she was hot. "You don't seem to have a fever…" he muttered, not liking the fact that Vida could be sick and he hadn't even noticed it.

"I'm fine, Xander; take your hand off my forehead," Vida grumbled, not liking the fact that she now had Xander fawning over her, checking to make sure she wasn't sick. "Wait a minute, don't."

At Xander's incredulous look she continued, "I mean, don't remove your hand; this is how we're going to fool Toby. I'll pretend I'm sick, and you'll be so concerned about me that Toby will have to all our chores while we sit down and relax; me especially. Those boxes I was lugging in the back were as heavy as a Hidiac!" At this Xander quietly chuckled, his deep laugh causing Vida to blush a bit more, a detail that, luckily for her, Xander failed to pick up on.

With a nod, the two of them got into position, with Vida leaning against the counter, her back to Xander, and Xander resuming is previous position.

"All right, one, two, three…" Xander muttered, and when he reached three Vida nodded and, using the acting skills she had picked up from a drama class in school stumbled forward, holding a hand to her forehead.

"V, what's wrong?" Xander demanded while making sure his voice was loud enough that Toby heard it, and sure enough he came running out of his office, now only having the collection of pens in his hands.

"What's wrong?" Toby demanded, his eyes taking in what he saw. Vida was on her knees, holding her head as if she was in pain, and Xander was beside her, checking her face with his hands to see if she had a fever, considering her face was red.

"I don't know boss; Vida and I were talking when she suddenly stumbled, and I shot out from behind the counter to see if she was okay," Xander replied, having finished checking Vida to see if she was sick and, gently taking her hands off her head told her, "Take my hand, V."

"No, I'm… I'm okay," Vida muttered, not wanting to show weakness, even if she was faking being sick.

"V, you're obviously not feeling well and it seemed to me like you couldn't keep your balance; take my hand," Xander firmly said, leaving no room in his voice for argument. Vida glared at him and, acting like she was too weak to protest, placed her hand in Xander's and he helped her to her feet and over to his "supervising" chair, both ignoring the small shock that had occurred the moment contact had been made. Toby followed worriedly, the pens having slipped from his hands to the floor where they lay forgotten.

"Is she okay?" Toby asked Xander fearfully; afraid that he would get hit with a lawsuit from Vida's very overprotective father. Xander didn't answer until he had gotten a pillow to support Vida's head and her feet propped up with an empty record carton.

"She'll be fine, boss. I think it's just something like the 24 hour bug," Xander replied, looking over his shoulder in concern as Vida moaned and leaned further back into the pillow. Toby looked from Vida to Xander, a concerned expression plastered across his face. "I'll still work, boss. I'll do both V's and my chores so you can concentrate on your stuff in your office."

Toby stared at Xander and said, "Absolutely no way am I going to leave Vida unattended; I'm afraid she'll wake up and hurl all over my floor, resulting in a mess that someone'll have to clean up, which will most likely be me. Tell you what: I'll do all of your chores so you can stay with Vida and make sure that she doesn't go and faint on us." Xander looked about to protest but Toby held up a hand and added, "No; I insist."

Xander shrugged and nodded, moving to pull up a stool next to Vida, appearing as if he was going to take Toby's advice and watch over Vida. Toby shook his head in amazement at the amount of concern Xander was showing for his friend; sure he showed concern for Madison, Chip, and Nick, but to Toby it seemed as if Xander cared for Vida as more than a friend.

'After all,' Toby thought, 'Xander's insistence that he help Vida up and the way they seemed to become closer just by them taking each other's hands seems to indicate that there might be something below the surface…' Toby then moved to finish Vida's job in the back room, but having forgotten about the pens on the ground slipped on them with a yell and ended up on his back, the pens spread out over the floor in various directions, all at least five feet away from him. He slowly got up, not seriously hurt and, mumbling about his bad luck, moved to begin his employees' chores along with gathering up the pens and placing them in his office where they belonged.

Xander and Vida looked over at Toby as he fell, his yelp of pain and surprise causing them to look at each other and stifle back a laugh. For the rest of the day Xander sat beside Vida, both of them talking, but when they heard Toby coming their way Vida would pretend to be sick, and Xander would be concerned over her well-being, taking her hand in his and rubbing it, hoping to give the appearance that he was comforting Vida. They didn't do any more work for the rest of the day, and although there were a few customers that day Toby managed to get all of the chores that Xander and Vida had been scheduled to complete before he sent the two teenagers home.


	4. Theme 4: Game

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long to come out, but things kept coming up… Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place sometime after "Scaredy Cat")**

**Theme 4: Game **

**_Passage #1, Clare's Diary, Clare's Room, Rootcore, November 13, 2006, 10:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

"This is a gift from my friend Chip; he calls it a diary, meaning that I can record all my personal thoughts and emotions in here where no one will be able to see what I consider secret. That part is from Madison. All of the rangers say that I need help keeping my thoughts and spells in line, so Chip suggested they get me a diary so I can write down all my stray thoughts and leave more room in my mind for learning spells and executing them well. All I can say to that is that I hope it works.

"Anyway, I think that I'll write down what's in my head later; what I really want to talk about is a… umm… touchy subject. That is, I want to write about the fire that flies from Xander and Vida when they are near each other. Honestly, some people think that I'm dense because I mess up so many of my spells but according to Udonna I'm really very observant. She says that this is a good instinct because it means that I'll be a good sorceress someday… wait a minute, Udonna's calling me; I'll be right back.

"Back; where was I? Oh yeah, Xander and Vida. I guess you could say that their relationship is something like a… what word did Nick use? ... oh yeah, game. They act like they are the pieces in a game. The reason? I have not a clue; however, I notice subtle things about them that signify that there is more to their relationship then what they let on to the others. They obviously connect on a plane that is beyond them right now. It's a spiritual one; the plane, that is. This plane only exists between two people who have been made for each other; and that's what I think Xander and Vida are; that is, they were made for each other. I see Nick and Madison reaching it; they're getting closer everyday, and Chip told me that Nick asked her out on something called a date… must be some kind of weird non-magical ritual.

"Anyway, about the game – Xander and Vida play it by yelling at each other like they're on the verge of killing each other, but at the same time they enjoy it. They then apologize to each other and to all those around them who had to put up with them during their arguments. They then move ahead a few spaces on the game board (like that one game that Chip showed me… umm… was it maybe _Monopoly_?) and get along really well for a while, acting like they're in the same relationship that Nick and Madison are in, but then another argument breaks out and they move back on the board, back to where they were previous to the last argument or past their starting point. This is why Nick classifies them as game pieces; not that I really understand it, even though Chip has tried to explain it to me, with Jenji providing more examples from his… interesting past.

"This happens quite often; in fact, it just happened today while I was taking care of Fireheart. Xander and Vida were arguing over something that happened at Rock Porium (I don't know what that is) and then she lunged at him, putting him in a… really strong hold, her arms around his head (maybe the word's head-hold?). I put down the dragon and moved to separate them, but then Xander fought back and did the same thing to Vida, causing her to get even angrier. I tried to reason with them; I really and honestly did try but I, umm, failed… Fireheart decided to put in his own opinion and spit out a stream of fire at the two, which made them break up. When the smoke cleared both their faces were black and their anger was aimed at my dragon, and Jenji did nothing but laugh his head off… it really wasn't that funny.

"They looked like they were going to hurt my baby (what can I say, I'm really attached to that dragon) but I stepped in and yelled at them, telling them to stop arguing and acting like five year olds fighting over the last piece of rock candy and to start acting like adults. They stared at me like I was crazy, but when I started in on them to stop playing their game they looked shocked, and then looked at each other, muttered Chip's name, and then took off. I really hope that Chip's okay… That's it for now; I'll end by saying that Xander and Vida had better stop this game of theirs before I go berserk on them and make them stop the game myself or have them explain it to me in detail...

"Clare Out."


	5. Theme 5: Confidence

**A/N: **…I understand if you all are in line with burning pitchforks and water balloons, ready to kill me for not updating for so long, but college has been such a hassle this term that I haven't had time to write, much less update. Please forgive me, and enjoy this theme. I apologize profusely once more to you, my loyal reviewers, for letting this go not updated for so long…

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place sometime after "Inner Strength") **

**Theme 5: _Confidence _**

****

****

**_Rocca Household, November 27, 2006, 10:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_ **

**Vida's POV**

"Maddie, what are you doing with that video camera?" I asked, not in the mood to deal with my twin's constant videotaping. It's not that I love Madison for her talent with the camera; it's just that I have a killer history test tomorrow on the Renaissance in Italy and northern Europe, a topic that I haven't looked at in over two weeks.

"Filming," Madison answered. I was pissed; how come she doesn't have to study for the damn history test; we are in the same class after all!

I turned around in my desk chair and asked, "How come you're not studying, sis?" I deliberately let acid slip into my voice, making my annoyance with her obvious.

Madison casually shrugged and replied, "Already studied." She then grinned and moved the camera closer to me, so close, in fact, that it was practically in my face.

"Get that away from my face!" I hissed, not wanting to get Maddie in trouble with our dad. See, he doesn't really like the fact that Madison films and I DJ when we should be learning to dance and sew… those thoughts give me the creeps.

"Got a question for ya, V," Madison chirped, her voice sounding too perky for my taste. I narrowed my eyes; just what was she up to exactly?

"What is it?" I asked, slowly, knowing that I would regret the question a minute later.

"What do you think of Xander?" she asked; I inwardly groaned; yep, there was the regret rearing its head.

"What is there to say?" I mused, trying to stall. I honestly didn't want to answer this question. "You know, I have to really study for this test tomorrow; go away." I moved to put my hand on the camera's lens, trying to block my face from being used for posterity later. Madison danced out of reach, however, preventing my success.

"Not going to work, sis. You need to answer this question for me or else I won't leave you alone; your choice," Madison said, moving to annoy me into answering; a tactic that seemed to work every time. It sure did this time.

"Fine!" I snapped, slamming my book shut, not caring who heard it. "You want to know what I think of Xander? He's an egotistical, arrogant, over-confident bastard!" I moved to exit the room, not wanting to think about Xander's attitude, and how he always seemed to get to me, but before I'd even gotten a foot away from my desk, the camera was once more in my face.

"Now, I know that's not how you really feel about him," Madison whined, knowing that I was lying through my teeth. The whining was what broke my patience.

I sighed; why did Madison always have the effect of making me tell the truth every time she asked me something instead of letting me lie? "The truth," I mumbled, loud enough for the camera to catch my voice but not loud enough for Madison to hear, "is that I admire Xander because of his confidence. He has such confidence in his tactics of pacifism; he really doesn't like to fight, despite how many we have every day, unprovoked as they are. He exudes this air of self-assurance and peace; whenever I'm with him, I feel like nothing can go wrong; he just instills in me the confidence needed to get through the shit that happens in life. Besides," at this I grinned, "any guy who can stand up to me when I'm chewing them out for taking my jeep without my permission and still have a confident air about him is worth my time." I then shut up, wiping the smile off my face as Madison turned off the camera.

"Thank you for your time, V," Madison said, her tone betraying nothing suspicious. I merely glared at her, sure that she was planning something for later on; however, I was too worried about my test the next day to really try and push her for the plans she had in store for that footage.

"Okay, Maddie, if you will please: could I have some silence to study and try to pass this damn test so I won't fail, because if I do fail then you know what dad might do…" At this, we were both quiet, remembering the punishments we had gotten in the past for failing something. Madison nodded and after giving me a quick hug and whispering good luck, went out the door and to her own room. I sighed and closed the door, standing against it. I slid down to sit on the floor in the front of the door, letting my thoughts wander for a few moments; oddly enough, they all revolved around Xander and that sense of confidence he exuded almost every day…


	6. Theme 6: Competition

**A/N: **…I understand if you all are in line with burning pitchforks and water balloons, ready to kill me for not updating for so long, but college has been such a hassle this term that I haven't had time to write, much less update. Please forgive me, and enjoy this theme. I apologize profusely once more to you, my loyal reviewers, for letting this go un-updated for so long…

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after Theme 5) **

**Theme 6: Competition **

**_AP European History Class, Briarwood High School, November 19, 2006, 10:00 AM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

"Now class, I have the results of your tests from yesterday… I must say that I am highly disappointed with these grades… you have obviously not been studying…" lectured Mrs. Hunsinger, head of the history department at Briarwood High School and the meanest teacher in the school. The rangers, all of whom were situated at the back of the classroom, rolled their eyes at each other and silently wished that a monster would attack, allowing the school to evacuate and setting them free.

Mrs. Hunsinger began handing back the tests, stopping to slam the ruler she carried with her everywhere on Leelee's desk, causing her to shoot straight up in shock. Vida snickered, hiding a smile behind her hand. She watched with pleasure as Mrs. Hunsinger began to yell at Leelee, telling her that if she caught the girl sleeping in her class one more time then detention would be on her planner for a week, everyday after school for two weeks. Leelee pouted, and when she got back the test, she gasped and proceeded to throw the paper on the floor, an action that earned her a glare from the teacher.

Xander looked up from where he had been doodling in his notebook, bored to death, and saw Nick and Madison exchanging smiles and looks from where they sat next to each other. Xander frowned; when he compared himself to the competition there was in the school for potential boyfriend candidates he was seriously lacking behind. He hadn't had a date for at least two months due to the need to practice his magic and fighting moves; a decision that he was starting to regret as it cut into his reputation with the women. Xander watched his teacher for a moment, then looked down at his notebook and noticed that a small ball of crumbled-up paper lay on top of his doodle of the Titan Megazord. Looking around to make sure no one, especially Mrs. Hunsinger, was looking his way he opened up and saw a message scrawled there in Vida's messy handwriting.

Xander read the message, which said, _"What do ya think you got on the test, Xander? Vida."_ Xander looked beside him and just behind Chip, where Vida sat, her eyes looking at him, watching to see what he would do. Xander grinned and taking his pen scribbled a reply and, making sure the teacher – whom he and the other rangers referred to as a Hidiac in disguise – didn't see him tossed the ball of paper back to Vida, looking straight ahead and he frowned on noticing that the teacher was getting closer to the back corner.

Vida took apart the paper, and when she saw Xander's message, _"I think I did pretty well; better than you, at any rate. You?"_ she frowned, knowing that he had purposely written his message the way he did to irritate her… and it was working. Vida took up her pen and wrote back to him, making sure that her reply was scathing at best.

_"Who are you to think that you did better than me, Xander the Great? The competition between us is over; it's obvious that I'm going to do better than you did so get off your high horse and come back to present reality, if you would be so kind."_

_"I see… play-it-cool Vida thinks she did better than me, hmm? Guess again. Competition rules state that Xander will always do better than Vida on any test, no matter the subject area. So, for the near future, try and remember the simple fact that I will always be better than you."_

_"Think again; your competition rules are flawed because they were made up by you! Therefore, you are cheating. Besides, remember just last week when I beat you on that math test, hmm? Don'cha think that maybe your rules suck when I have proof that I can beat you on a test?"_

_"Doesn't count; I was sick for the review day therefore I missed a lot of the material while you, oh Miss-Perfect Attendance, got to hear everything. Therefore, competition rules state that if Xander is absent on a review day then the test doesn't count; understand?"_

_"Yeah, I understand; I understand that you're an arrogant guy who can only think of winning and not what comes of playing fairly. That is one thing you'll never learn."_

Xander was just about to write a retort for Vida to read when a hand snatched the piece of paper from his desk and brought it up to the tanned face of Mrs. Hunsinger, who didn't appear to be happy.

"What do we have here? It seems to me that you two miscreants are bored with my class and have chosen to practice stealth in an attempt to occupy your petty minds… very amusing but I have to do my duty as a respectable teacher and give this note to the principal. I'm sure he'll be very interested to know of this… competition that is going on between you. Follow me." Mrs. Hunsinger waved the note in front of Xander's face and shot a glare at Vida, whom she had never liked, and motioned them to follow her.

Xander and Vida got up, got their books, and followed her out, amused looks on their faces. Chip, Nick, and Madison watched this with the same look on their faces and once Mrs. Hunsinger had left the room, Xander and Vida trailing her, Chip turned to Nick and Madison and said, "Looks like their competition's gotten them in trouble; again."

Madison rolled her eyes and leaning so that her head rested on her arms replied, "When doesn't it, Chip? I mean, when we do our "homework" they compete to see who can learn it the fastest and get yelled at by our "tutors" and get punished; here it's no different."

"Except," Nick added, leaning back in his chair, "that the teacher here is much uglier than our "tutors", right?" On getting nods from both Chip and Madison Nick grinned and thought, 'One of these days Xander and Vida's competition is either going to get them in a shit-load of trouble or is going to help them in some unknown way.'

The class didn't continue that day, as Xander and Vida were at the principal's office for the rest of period, along with Mrs. Hunsinger, who was told that besides the note-passing Xander and Vida hadn't done anything wrong. After all, wasn't the teacher supposed to encourage healthy competition among her students? Xander and Vida did get detention that afternoon and after the detention, when they were sure no eyes were watching them, they gave each other high-fives, both happy that their competition had gotten them out of another boring day of European history.


	7. Theme 7: Fight

**A/N: **Well, the good news is that I am officially done with my sophomore year in college, and now have a glorious summer ahead of me. Incidentally, this didn't take as long to update as the last theme did (which, again, I profusely apologize for), and I hope you guys like it. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

(**Takes place after "Soul Specter")**

**Theme 7: _Fight_**

**_Rootcore, November 23, 2006, 5:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

"Where are you going, Xander?" Vida asked, her eyes moving from her magical text to look at Xander, who had put away his magical books and was preparing to leave Rootcore.

Xander smiled at Vida and said, "Why, I have to go and get ready for my date, of course." He winked at her and began to move closer to the steps, obviously thinking that what he had just said was a sufficient answer.

Vida rolled her eyes and, getting to her feet walked after Xander and pulled on his cloak, causing him to scream out as he lost his balance and almost fell down the stairs. Xander managed to grab the railing to stop himself from falling and turned around to glare at Vida, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed and glaring back at him.

"What was that for Vida? I almost fell and ruined my perfect complexion!" Xander exclaimed, choosing to jump down the stairs so that he was directly in front of Vida. This exclamation drew the attention of the other three rangers, all of whom had been studying incantations and languages at the small circular table that held their mystical representations engraved on its surface.

"Problem is, Xander, that you promised Udonna you'd stay and study your incantations with us for the rest of the night and yet here you are ditching us to go on some date with a ditzy, blonde girl; did I get the physical description right?" Vida snapped at Xander, pleased to see that a small blush had made its way onto his face, signaling that she had indeed gotten the girl's description right.

Xander decided to not take this crap and said so. "I don't have to stay and take this! I have a date in an hour with a hot chick and unlike you guys I actually keep my original plans and don't move everything around so that I can fit in time studying incantations that none of us will ever master, not including the knight-in-training over there!" Xander glared at Vida again while motioning at Chip, who was frantically signaling that he wanted to be kept out of any and all arguments between the two rangers. After a minute of the two rangers glaring at each other, Xander moved to leave Rootcore but Vida stopped him again; this time it was her words that did it.

"Sure… Xander the Great thinks he's all knowing and therefore doesn't have to study the building blocks to our powers. Do you really want to be so unprepared that when you're needed you fail and have to watch as the world comes to an end and the only person to blame will be you?" By this time, Vida had moved so that she was in front of Xander, who had turned to glare at her again. Vida pushed her finger into Xander's chest and added, "You're an arrogant, egotistical pig and it's a wonder that anyone who agrees to go out with you actually goes through the whole ritual. Personally, I think that your bimbos should just leave you in the middle of the damn dates; at least then you'd maybe learn something about not being an ass and learning to be a gentleman!"

Xander snorted and shot back, "Yeah? Don't we sound all high and mighty, Miss I-have-the-Perfect-Life-because-I've-hardened-my-heart-to-everything-and-everyone? Come on Vida; don't you think that what you're telling me should really apply to you? Hell, when you put your mind to it you're a bigger flirt than I am and you sure as hell aren't a lady!"

Vida glared at Xander and opened her mouth to retort but Xander cut her off by adding, "Besides, it's not my fault that you hide behind a punk-princess façade to protect yourself from feeling anything besides love for Maddie!"

"Do not bring Madison into this!" Vida screeched, moving closer so that it appeared to the other rangers and Clare, who had run out when the yelling began that their noses were touching; even though Xander was taller than Vida by a few inches. "Madison has nothing to do with this!"

Xander glared at Vida and replied, "Sure she doesn't; thought I'd just make the point that Madison's the only one whom you even let in anymore. By the way, tell me, how was that hayride with Brenan Jones a year ago on Halloween, huh? Did it end nicely or did it end with him leaving you in the middle and yelling over his shoulder that you were a bitch?"

Madison gasped and quickly covered her mouth while Chip turned white at Xander's comment; Nick and Clare looked shocked at this, but none were more shocked than Vida. She closed her mouth and, breathing deeply replied, "You know, you're right, Xander. It's none of my damn business what goes on in your life, but that doesn't give you the right to reveal something like that without my permission. You know what; do what you want. I'm out." Vida shook her head and, using her wand closed up the books and brought her backpack over to her and, pushing past Xander left Rootcore, leaving a stunned silence behind her.

Xander blew out the air he had been holding and, realizing what he had just said cursed and hit his head. Wheeling around Xander yelled out Vida's name and ran out of Rootcore to apologize for his words, but by the time he exited the dragon's mouth she was gone.


	8. Theme 8: Guilt

**A/N: **– Double-checks calendar – What a surprise! It's been less than a month, and I have an update for you! How awesome is that? On a side note, this theme, and theme 9 follow theme 7 (Fight), and should be treated as a kind of mini-trilogy. Do tell me how well I've done Phineas; he was hard for me to write for some odd reason… Anyway, enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after Theme 7)**

**Theme 8: Guilt**

**_Briarwood Forest, November 23, 2006, 5:10 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

**Xander's POV**

"I am such an idiot… God, why did I go and pull that up?! V trusted me with that and I blurted it out to the world… damn it!" I cursed as I tripped over a root and, getting to my feet kept running through the woods, not bothering to wonder in which direction I was running in. I didn't care; all that mattered to me now was finding Vida and apologizing to her for my stupidity.

In fact, I was so concentrated on finding Vida that I didn't see the shadow in front of me until I ran into it. I landed on my butt and backed up a few feet, noting that the thing I had run into was doing the same thing.

"Who goes there?" I demanded cursing as my voice contained a hint of fear in it. Honestly, you would think that being the Green Mystic Force Ranger would me how to control my emotions from taking over my voice, but I had obviously not mastered this skill. The form got to its feet, and came closer, which meant that I backed up further.

"Whoa there, buddy. What's the rush?" came a voice that I instantly recognized as Phineas's. Sighing in relief, I got to my feet and moved closer to the shadow that I was now able to identify as Phineas due to the sunlight that the forest filtered through its branches.

"Phineas! Thank God, it's you! Have you seen Vida?" I asked; worry slipping into my voice without my permission.

Phineas cocked his head to the side and replied, "Vida? Who's Vida? Some kind of new tree?"

I groaned and said, "No, Phineas, Vida isn't a tree. She's my friend; you know, wears pink?"

Phineas though for a minute and said, "Nope, haven't seen her. Although, I did just see someone about your age run through here with a cloak and bag; you know her?"

My heart leapt into my throat unbidden. "Yes! That's Vida; where'd she go?"

Phineas cocked his head and thought for a minute, hand under his chin. Then, beckoning me closer he said, "You know, umm, this is in strictest confidence; understand?" I nodded, which was a signal for Phineas to continue. "She told me to not let anyone get near her; promised me usin' the Troblin pledge, don' you know."

I looked at him and said, "Phineas aren't you the only Troblin?"

He looked at me and said, "So? There will always exist the Troblin pledge. So, umm, why do you want to find this girl?"

I rubbed the back of neck and said sheepishly, "Well, umm, Vida and I just had a fight and I said something I shouldn't have and I really need to apologize to her."

Phineas stared at me and said, "So, why do you need to talk to this girl?" He then proceeded to continue staring at me until I snapped and glared at him.

We had a staring contest until I gave up and, groaning put my face in my hands. "I feel bad about what I said to Vida, okay? I shouldn't have said what I did to her."

Phineas remarked casually, "So, you feel guilty for what you said?"

I stared at him and, realizing that Phineas had once more unknowingly helped us I said, "Yes, yes, Phineas, you're right, you're absolutely right. I do feel guilty about what I said to Vida. I, I shouldn't have done that; I shouldn't have revealed her secret when she trusted me with it. I am such a fool and I don't deserve to be her friend!"

Phineas grinned and said, "I see, friend. In that case the girl you're looking for told me to not let you find her but, umm, in strictest confidence I can give ya a hint." I leaned closer, eager to know where Vida was. "I asked her where she was goin' and that girl, man was she running fast, said somethin' 'bout a lookout of some kind."

I slapped a hand to my head and said, "Duh! Man, am I dumb! Thanks Phineas, for everything!" I ran off to find Vida, leaving Phineas behind me, most likely scratching his head, talking to his invisible friend about something concerning mushrooms or the Troblin pledge.


	9. Theme 9: Closer

**A/N: **– Double-checks calendar – Wow. It's been a little over a month and I'm back with another update; how wicked cool is that? On a side note, this theme is the last for the small trilogy that consists of themes 7 to 9. Anyway, enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after Theme 8)**

**Theme 9: Closer**

**_Rainbow Lookout, November 23, 2006, 5:30 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Vida was sitting by herself on the edge of a cliff, the latter of which overlooked Briarwood. The wind blew through her hair, and she involuntarily shivered, cursing herself for not having learned any spells that would keep her warm. 'Damn that Xander… every time I even think that we're moving closer, he does something stupid and conceited, like telling everyone what Brenan Jones said about me last year…'

Vida's eyes moved from looking at the ground to looking at the city, where she could see all of the flickering lights detailing all of the varying buildings in the town below. "It's sure beautiful out there tonight…"

She remained looking at the city for a few more minutes, before shaking her head and getting to her feet. "This is ridiculous…" she scoffed, her gray eyes darting between the view below her and the woods behind her, as if she was afraid of what was going to come barreling out of the woods or leaping up from the ground below to attack her. Actually, her being paranoid about possibly being attacked wasn't that far off the mark; she guessed it was the territory that came with being a power ranger.

"Why am I just standing here? And why is every one of my thoughts revolving around that pompous excuse for a green ranger?!" Vida muttered to herself, her eyes now focused completely on the city below her. "I swear…why was I so upset about him going on a date? It's never happened before; is it because I'm worried that if he actually finds that 'number one chick' on his list he and I won't be as close? No, that can't be it. Hell, Maddie and Nick are getting closer, and I'm not worried about her, so why am I so pissed at Xander?"

Vida stood still for a few more minutes, her eyes never moving, and shivered again when she felt the wind brush past her again. "Damn, why didn't I think to bring a heavier coat with me? It's getting chilly out here… but then again, it's so peaceful out here. I feel closer to her here…" Vida's thoughts shifted to the mother that she and Madison had never known; according to their father (whom Vida and Madison didn't trust all that much) she had left them when she and her twin were five years old, but Vida had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to the picture than her father let on.

"You know what, I'm going home; it's too cold to be out here any longer," Vida muttered and grabbing her bag from the ground, began walking towards the small footpath that would take her to a side street. From the street, she could go directly to her house, bypassing the longer route through the forest. As she walked, she snapped her fingers to change her witches' clothes back to her outfit of choice for that day – black jeans, a white tee shirt with pink stripes along the arms, and a thin denim jacket, her messenger bag slung over one shoulder. She didn't notice nor hear the sound of gravel as someone slid to a stop on the cliff, nor the dark brown eyes that frantically searched for her to apologize for their owner's callous behavior earlier that evening.

"I know she was here," Xander muttered, running a hand through his hair in utter frustration. Looking down over the city, he saw why Vida came here often. The view was breathtaking; and, he had a feeling that she felt closer to those around her when here. The question he found himself asking was if she still considered him a close friend after what he had done to her that night…


	10. Theme 10: Pride

_**A/N: **_– Double-checks calendar – Oh my god, this is amazing! I'm updating this story for _a second time_ this month! I swear, this is a record! I would help that this helps you guys to begin to reconcile my long updates. I've really been trying this summer, and it's paid off. I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with me, so I dedicate this chapter to each and every one of you. Enjoy! Also, please tell me if I've written some of these characters okay, especially Jenji. He, like Phineas, was really hard to write for some reason…

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place four years after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 10: Pride**

**_Rootcore, August 5, 2010, 12:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

"Are they at it again?" Jenji asked, cocking his head to the side as he observed the green and pink Mystic Force Rangers go about their work without talking to each other… again. Jenji was currently sitting on the main table at Rootcore – emblazoned with the five symbols of the Mystic Force – his eyes narrowed in thought.

"Are they up to what again, Jenji?" Daggeron asked, coming up behind Jenji and startling the genie so much that he almost fell off the table. When Jenji turned around to glare at his master and best friend, the Solaris Knight had the decency to look sheepish.

"Daggeron! Don't do that!" Jenji commanded, and glared at Daggeron, receiving a look in return. "What I meant was are they fighting again? 'Cause, you know, I'm really getting sick of having to watch them ignore each other."

Daggeron looked over to the two rangers and saw that they were indeed fighting again. Granted, this unique form of fighting didn't have any verbal vocalization, but it did still resonate with the fact that both rangers were butting horns over an issue that he was not privy to knowing about.

"Well?" Jenji prompted, allowing his impatient streak to take over.

Daggeron glanced at his friend and replied, "It does indeed look that way, Jenji. My question is what are they fighting about now?" When Jenji shrugged, Daggeron shook his head in amusement. While it was always entertaining to see the small spats that flared up from time to time between the now twenty-two year old rangers (had been since The Master's defeat four years ago), it was also getting old. Daggeron knew that the two were friends, even when immersed in one of their seemingly pointless arguments, and that they fought for reasons that were beyond his current knowledge. In fact, all he really knew was that many of Xander and Vida's reasons for fighting came from the fact that they were both too much alike because they both valued their pride.

"If you are wondering about the subject of their fight, might I suggest thinking back to the recent Power Rangers Reunion?" a feminine voice said from behind Daggeron and Jenji, and as the two turned around both met with the twinkling eyes of Udonna, who was accompanied by her husband Leanbow. True, the entire Mystic Force team, along with Leelee and Phineas, had attended a Power Rangers Reunion hosted by the Wild Force Rangers in Turtle Cove. However, Daggeron could only look curiously at Udonna, who had a knowing look on her face, and couldn't for the life of him figure out what she was talking about.

Leanbow chuckled. "It's really quite simple, Daggeron." The Fire Knight looped an arm around Udonna's shoulders, his eyes dancing with merriment. Daggeron pondered his mentor's words for a moment and then understanding dawned, and he began to chuckle, seeing the pure humor and irony in the situation.

"What? What am I missing?" Jenji asked, moving from Daggeron to Udonna to Leanbow and back to Daggeron. Leanbow glanced at Xander and Vida, both of who were studying books of spells, and had to hold back his laughter as he noticed that Xander was studying a book of spells dealing with Vida's element, and she had a book that dealt with Xander's. Amazing how alike the two were, and yet they always seemed to find ways to end up arguing about the most ridiculous things.

Udonna put a finger to her lips, signaling Jenji to be quiet, and motioned for Daggeron and himself to follow her. Leanbow was right behind his wife, and the Solaris Knight and the genie followed soon after. Once they were outside, Udonna looked to Leanbow, silently asking if she should tell the genie. Leanbow inclined his head, and Udonna turned to look at Daggeron, who was smirking, and at Jenji, who was frowning.

"Very well, Jenji, since you are so eager to know the reason as to why Xander and Vida are fighting, I shall tell you. However, you must not mention this to either one of them, understood?" At Jenji's nod, Udonna smiled and continued, "While we were attending the Power Rangers Reunion a few days ago, Leanbow and I observed some interesting things. We were talking with Dr. Thomas Oliver and his wife Kimberly when I spotted Xander flirting with the yellow ranger from Dr. Andrew Hartford's team – Operation Overdrive, I believe. This, in and of itself isn't strange, but what was interesting was that Vida saw him. She marched up to him, began arguing with him, apparently slapped him, and then stalked off. Xander took off after her and minutes later, I heard Xander yelling at Vida about what had just happened, along with her being a hypocrite because he had found her flirting with the white ranger from the Jungle Fury team earlier. She, in turn, yelled at him as well. I believe that they are still fighting over what happened at the reunion."

"Why would they… oh," Jenji said, realizing just what his two friends were arguing over.

"Exactly," Leanbow said, looking back at the entrance to Rootcore, and thinking for a moment added, "It seems that they are more alike than they would like to think, especially when it comes to the matter or pride. Neither one of them wants to admit their feelings to the other, yet both wish to know how the other feels. It all comes down to a matter of pride, and it is because of this pride that they fight so often. It is also a reason why neither one has apologized yet; they want the other person to make the first move."

Daggeron nodded and summarized his mentor's words, "I agree, Leanbow. It is all about pride, and as long as those two continue to hold onto their pride, I believe that they will continue to act the way they do now, and not as we all know they can, if only they could let go of their pride."

Jenji nodded and looked back at Rootcore, hoping that his two friends would overcome their pride and act like their other friends, especially Nick and Madison, considering that those two were very close these days; Madison even had a pretty ring on her finger…


	11. Theme 11: Darkness

**A/N: **I know that this drabble may seem short (a lot shorter than my other ones), but I think it fits the theme well. On a side note, I've started my junior year in college, meaning that I'll have less time to update. I promise to not let you guys go too long without an update. In the meantime, have a Happy Labor Day (if you celebrate it)!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Stranger Within II")**

**Theme 11: Darkness**

**_Rootcore, October 30, 2006, 5:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

**Xander's POV**

I had never in my life felt as helpless as I did when I saw V lashing out at us, as if she was possessed or something. Oh, right, she is, and by Necrolai, no less. The bloody Queen of the Vampires has V on a chain, and treats her like a dog. Yet, no matter how hard the others and I try, we can't seem to get V to let go of the darkness that's in her and come back to us.

That circle that Chip drew around her had me nervous; I never thought that I would have to face one of my best friends who's all evil and not on my side. We've only been rangers for a few months, and already I feel like something's wrong with the universe because Vida's not on the side of good; she's drowning in the darkness. V and I have been friends for years, and yet I have never once been afraid of her. Mock-scared, yes. Really scared? No.

Now, however, I can't help but be scared. I think she knows it too. She can sense that I'm afraid of her, and when she looks at me, all I can see is the darkness that has taken over her, covering up the friend that I've known since I was eight.

"Guys, I'm fine. Really. There's nothing wrong with me," Vida protested her eyes roving over everyone gathered there, and her voice is sincere enough for Clare to try to convince us that she's fine. I grimly smile; I really hope that Clare is right. I watch Clare move towards our friend, but when she is almost at the circle Vida tries to launch herself at Clare, her fangs revealed, and I find my hopes falling again. The darkness is back, and Vida's practically glowing with it; if the red eyes don't give it away, then maybe the fangs will.

"Okay, maybe she's not okay," Clare whispers, moving to hide behind us, and I have to keep myself from rolling my eyes; that'll only earn a glare from one of the others, and I am not in the mood to have to deal with them.

Chip glances over at me, and I can see the silent question in his eyes – "What do you think, Xander?'

I shrug and don't meet his eyes; I let that be my answer – "I don't know, Chip."

Nick decides to play leader and starts saying how we have to keep her there until Udonna can come up with a cure, and of course, we all agree, with Vida looking at us as if we've gone crazy. I really want to try to get Vida to come back to us, but my thoughts only settle on the fact that she's been tainted, somehow, and that she's not the same person I knew only two days ago. Then, we get the call that there's a monster on the loose in the city. If it's Necrolai, she better watch out, because I'm coming after her. As I run after Nick and the others, I turn and look at Vida one more time, and I can see her watching me go, her eyes full of sadness.

"I'm sorry, V, but until I'm sure that the darkness isn't there anymore, I don't know who you are," I whisper, turning my eyes so that she can't see how affected I am by the way she's acting and how she looks. She doesn't need to know that I don't see her anymore, but only the black darkness that surrounds her; no need at all.


	12. Theme 12: Dare

**A/N: **Well, I kept my promise; it's been less than six months since my last update. I personally had fun writing this theme; it definitely fits Xander and Vida. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place sometime after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 12: Dare**

**_Rootcore, February 24, 2007, 2:30 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

It was a typical Saturday afternoon at Rock Porium; that is, it was empty. This was, of course, likely because it was freezing outside – a nice and toasty 20 degrees Fahrenheit – and Toby had decided that instead of closing the store like all of the other stores around him he'd stay open and get all the business.

Right. Let's check in, shall we?

"Ow! Watch it!" screeched Leelee as she swerved to avoid a large box that almost ran into her. Leelee had been stacking some CDs when the box had tried to flatten her.

Chip stuck his head out from behind the box and, looking sheepish said, "Sorry. Couldn't see where I was going."

Leelee put down the CDs she had been holding and, looking at her co-worker asked, "I thought Vida was supposed to be telling you which way to go and what to avoid so nothing gets broken."

Chip looked around furtively before carefully placing the box on the ground and moving closer to Leelee as if he had a secret to tell. Leelee, gossip queen that she was, recognized what Chip intended and, grinning, moved closer to Chip as well, ready to hear whatever juicy tidbit of gossip Chip had for her.

"Vida's not helping me out because Nick dared her to," Chip broke off, licking his lips, as if afraid that if he finished the sentence lightning would strike him where he stood and a pile of ash would be the result.

Leelee narrowed her eyes. "Come on, Chip. It can't be that bad, whatever it is that you're afraid to tell me. Are you the Yellow Mystic Force Ranger or what?

Chip glanced around him again and on seeing that the coast was clear sighed and, running a hand through his slightly shaggy ginger-colored hair continued, "Nick dared her to…"

"Yes?" Leelee prompted, placing her hands on her hips in a pose that eerily reminded Chip of his aunt when she knew he was hiding something and was trying to wring the answer out of him. Wait… Chip shook his head to dispel that image; he should not be thinking of his friend like that, especially comparing her to his aunt, who would most likely ground him or, worse, take away his archery supplies for daring to think ill of her.

"Chip?" Leelee asked warily, not sure what to make of Chip's slightly vacant expression.

Chip shook his head to clear any other random thoughts that had taken up residence and, grinning again, said, "Sorry; I kind of zoned out there for a minute."

"Right," Leelee drawled, starting to get impatient. How hard was it to spit out what went down between Nick and Vida? "Are you going to finish telling me what this dare was or am I going to have drag it out of you?"

Chip coughed and replied, "No, no, violence isn't necessary, Leelee." Looking around one last time to make sure that no one was trying to eavesdrop he leaned closer to Leelee and whispered, "Nick dared Vida to do 2 things: ask Xander out on a date and kiss him."

Leelee's mouth dropped open. Oh god. No wonder Chip was afraid to tell her; if Vida found out he knew and that he had told her they were both dead. Pulling her rainbow-colored scarf closer (that damn arctic air… this was California, for heaven's sake!) to her neck she looked around warily, relieved beyond logical reasoning that Vida was nowhere to be found.

Chip watched his co-worker's actions, trying to rationalize just why she was looking like a death sentence was on her. "Leelee, why are you looking like you've been sentenced to death?"

Leelee looked at Chip and replied, "Chip, if Vida finds out that you and I both know about this dare, we're dead. That's why you were looking around earlier, right?"

Chip paled; he had forgotten about Vida's temper for a few minutes. Looking around quickly, he whispered, "You're sure that Vida's not around here?"

Leelee nodded. "Absolutely sure. Vida's not here at the moment." Looking around, she saw that the box that had nearly collided with her earlier was still on the floor. "Come on; let's get that box of stuff put away in the back and then we can relax until Toby comes back from wherever he is." Chip nodded in agreement and picked up the box, shifting it in his arms until he was ok with its weight.

Leelee moved in front of Chip and began directing him, and in a few minutes, they had the box put away and its contents shelved. As they moved towards the front of the store, they heard sounds coming from Toby's office. Glancing at each other, they each wondered how to handle the current problem. Was it rats? Had burglars gotten in and were now ransacking their boss's office? Could it be something else entirely? Leelee, deciding to be the brave one, reached out a hand and, grasping the doorknob firmly, pushed the door open only to quickly it shut again. She grabbed Chip and dragged him outside into the weather and around the corner.

"Leelee, what's wrong? What'd you see?" Chip asked anxiously, not used to seeing the daughter of the Queen of the Vampires (or former Queen, anyway) panic as if she had just a few minutes before… not to mention that it was _very_ cold outside.

Leelee, rather than confirm Chip's suspicions that someone was in the office akin to a murderer, allowed the corners of her mouth to twitch, slowly melting into a small smile. "Remember what you told me about that dare?"

"Um, yes," Chip answered, honestly confused. Why was Leelee being so calm about this? "Aren't there burglars or murderers in Toby's office?"

Leelee giggled, and after catching her breath replied, "No, Chip, Toby's not going to be robbed and there are no murderers in that office. However, what is in there is something that I've been waiting to happen for months now."

Chip still looked confused so Leelee rolled her eyes and, raising an eyebrow mouthed two names that caused a mélange of emotions to cross Chip's face, ranging from excitement to happiness to shock to fear. Wait, why was there fear on Chip's face? Unless…

Leelee slowly turned around and found herself face to face with a flushed and very embarrassed Vida, an equally embarrassed Xander behind her. "Um… hi, Vida, Xander."

"I'd suggest you two run, now." Vida hissed her normally placid gray eyes now stormy and promising harm to her friends. Leelee gulped and, grabbing Chip's hand began running, the Yellow Mystic Force Ranger keeping pace with her.

"Guess that the dare was fulfilled then, right?" Chip asked cheekily, earning him a slap upside the head from Leelee, causing him to stumble and fall prey to the humiliated Pink and Green Mystic Force Rangers. "Guys, come on! Don't do that… stay away! Leelee, don't leave me here!"

Leelee chanced a glance over her shoulder and, seeing Chip's predicament said, "Sorry, Chip, but it's every woman for herself. Good luck, though." Leelee managed to get away from the angry rangers but her friend wasn't so lucky; in fact, next time she saw him his hair was bright pink and blue and his skin was rather green... She just thanked whatever deity out there that liked her enough to spare her the humiliation that Chip was undergoing right now for having interrupted a dare that, for once, went right.


	13. Theme 13: Knight

**A/N: **Well, I kept my promise; it's been less than six months since my last update. I personally had fun writing this theme as it involved the female rangers alone, without any of the male rangers around. This, I feel, was seriously lacking in the plot, and Clare especially did not get enough screen time. I hope that this remedies it a bit.

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place sometime after "Rock Solid")**

**Theme 13: Knight**

**_Rootcore, September 10, 2006, 12:30 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

"So, um, Madison, how'd you enjoy having a knight in shining armor save you?" Clare asked, enjoying a rare moment to talk to the two female rangers. The males – Nick, Chip, and Xander – were currently working at Rock Porium while their female counterparts had the day off. Udonna had found out about said day off and told the Rocca sisters that she'd help them with their powers. However, Udonna was off getting lunch and Clare had taken the initiative to get to know the female rangers better.

"What do you mean?" Madison asked, her grey eyes eying the witch-in-training warily. Her twin, Vida, smirked and leaned forward on the table, interested in seeing how this was going to turn out.

Clare stumbled over her words. "Um, what I mean is, when you were encased in stone Nick vowed to free you and it was, like, so romantic and he was like a knight." Clare turned bright red after finishing her statement, horrified that she had asked something so personal to the blue ranger.

Vida snickered and after shooting her sister a dirty look, Madison turned to Clare and replied, "So, you're asking me if I think of Nick as a possible knight in shining armor?" Clare nodded and Madison paused for a moment before continuing, "Well, I don't know. I mean, who's to say that he only worked so hard to free me was because he felt guilty about what he'd said to me earlier?"

"Come on Maddie, you know that's not true," Vida said, her tone a tad condescending. "Sure, Nick felt bad about what he'd said, and I felt like punching the guy for making you feel bad, but think about it like this: if Nick was a total loser and didn't care about any of us then he wouldn't have felt so guilty about you being trapped in stone. However, because the guy isn't a loser, and actually cares about his friends he came and rescued you. Plus, if memory serves you were the first one of us to approach the guy with an offer of friendship."

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Madison asked, bewildered by her sister's statements.

"Nick likes you Maddie, and because he does he treats you differently than he does, say, me or Clare. Hell, it's in his eyes, Maddie," Vida replied, her eyes looking into her sister's identical gray orbs.

Clare watched the sisters' argument with amusement but then thought of something. "So, Vida, how about you? Do you, um, have a knight in mind?"

Vida stared at Clare for a moment before replying, "Nope; no knight at all."

Madison got a pensive look on her face before saying, "You're lying, V. If memory serves you do have someone that you consider to be a 'knight in shining armor'."

Vida glared at her sister before saying, "Nope, sorry, can't help you there. There is no way in hell that I'll become dependent on some guy to be my 'savior'; I can save myself."

"We're not saying that you can't do that, Vida," Clare said slowly, trying not to anger the pink ranger. "We're saying that even if you don't think you have a knight to think about you do; every girl does and every girl dreams of finding their prince charming."

"Well, if you know so much on the subject, who's your knight?" Vida asked, not expecting an answer.

Clare surprised the sisters by replying instantly, "Well, I'd like to think that my knight's Chip." Seeing the looks she was getting, Clare backtracked. "I mean, well, he was just so nice to me when we first met and he had no trouble believing that magic was real and, um, he's just so…"

"So Chip?" Vida inserted, grinning when Clare nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Chip's always been like that; has been for as long as I can remember." Madison nodded in agreement before turning her attention back to Vida.

"Okay, V. Clare pines for Chip, I supposedly have Nick, so that leaves you with Xander; unless you have someone else in mind?"

Vida frowned; why wouldn't they stop bugging her about having some kind of knight in shining armor in mind? It wasn't as if the world was going to end if she didn't have a knight in mind. "For the last time, guys, I do not have a knight in mind; especially Xander."

"Sure, V. Keep telling yourself that you don't harbor secret feelings for Xander," Madison teased, a wicked smile making its way to her face.

Vida frowned sullenly and commented, "You know, Maddie, I think Nick's having more of an impact on you than you'd like to admit. I mean, that smile would have never made its way onto your face before Nick came, and now it seems like it's always been there. It's kinda freaky, actually."

Clare giggled and said, "Well, Vida, I think the smile fits Madison." Madison shot a thankful smile at the young sorceress. Soon, the conversation turned away from knights in shining armor to magic, although each girl secretly harbored thoughts of a knight of their own, including the pink ranger, whose jumbled thoughts returned to the idea that the cocky green ranger was her knight in shining armor, mentally scoffing at the idea but wondering 'why not?' at the same time.


	14. Theme 14: Power

**A/N: **Amazing, isn't it? I've updated in less than a month this time! I am so excited that I haven't let you all wait for this next theme. I had a lot of fun with this one. Another contest between Xander and Vida; it would have been so fun to see something like this during the show. I hope you like it!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "Inner Strength")**

**Theme 14: Power**

**_Rootcore, December 2, 2006, 4:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

"That was awesome!" Chip said as he admired Xander's physique from his new spell code. "Although, don't you think that it's a little stereotypical?"

Xander shrugged as he powered down in the safety of Rootcore. "Not really. I am strong as a tree and as such having super-human strength comes with the territory."

"Way to be humble," Vida commented, brushing past the green and yellow rangers, taking a seat on the table next to her symbol. "You really know how to show gratefulness, don't ya?"

Chip ducked his head so that he didn't alert Xander to the fact that he was laughing. Xander, meanwhile, flushed in embarrassment and before he could stop himself said, "Yeah, well, why don't we see who's more powerful, huh?"

Vida cocked an eyebrow before getting an evil grin on her face that reminded Xander of when Necrolai had had her under her control. "Sure. Why not? What are the rules?"

Xander ran through his mind to try to find a suitable challenge, but it was Chip who came up with the answer. "How about an archery competition? First one to send their arrow through the target and into the tree behind it will win, and I can judge."

Vida glanced at Chip, who was very excited by his idea. Glancing at Xander she smirked and replied, "Sure, why not. Are we allowed to use spells to help?"

Chip pondered this for a moment before shaking his head and replying, "Sorry, V, but that'd give you an unfair advantage, what with you using the wind to enhance the speed and power of your arrow."

While Vida pouted, Xander was mentally damning Chip. He knew next to nothing about archery while Vida had practiced with Chip often when they were younger. That gave Vida an advantage. Then he smirked. He was more physically powerful than Vida, which gave him a huge advantage.

"Great, let's go," Xander said as he jogged out of Rootcore, a still pouting Vida and an excited Chip following in his wake.

_**Chip's Archery Field, December 2, 2006, 4:15 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Soon enough Xander and Vida were standing on Chip's archery field, each of their arrows tied with a ribbon representing their color. Chip was standing to the side, his own bow and quiver of arrows on the ground next to him. "Okay, before we start I'm going to review how to draw an arrow and shoot it." Chip glanced at Xander out of the corner of his eye as he said this, knowing that the Green Mystic Force Ranger didn't have much experience with archery.

Xander watched as Chip drew his arrow and let it fly smoothly, the 'twang' signifying that it had hit its target dead on. He gulped when he saw Vida grinning at him predatorily and as she stepped forward Xander promised himself that he'd win this little competition and show Vida that he was the most powerful.

Vida narrowed her eyes as she aimed at the target and, making sure not to draw on the wind to help her, however much she wanted to, let her arrow fly. She grinned when she saw it drill about halfway through the target. Chip whistled in appreciation.

"Good job, V, considering that you haven't done any archery in a few years, right?" On getting a nod from Vida Chip made a mark on a slip of paper and said, "Vida's arrow pierced through the target about three feet. Xander, if you want to win then your arrow has to either pierce through the target four feet or go the whole way through. Either way, you'll win, but if your arrow doesn't pierce the target enough then V'll win."

Chip's hazel eyes regarded Xander warily, not sure if he should hide for fear that Xander's arrow would go completely off course and hit him or stand on the sidelines and support his teammate. Deciding to be safe, Chip picked up his own archery equipment and backed up a few feet, noticing as he did so that Vida didn't move.

Xander glared at his friend, muttering, "Traitor."

He took a deep breath and, slowly taking an arrow out of his quiver, fitted it to the bow, ignoring Vida's snickering about his clumsiness. Xander then drew back the arrow, carefully aiming it at his target. Taking one more deep breath, he let the arrow fly, and as he watched the arrow fly he prayed that it'd hit the target. When it did, Chip ran over to the target and yelped in surprise. Xander ran over, concerned that he'd hit something. When he got to the target, however, he saw that there was a clean hole in the target and that his arrow was embedded in the tree, the green ribbon he'd tied to it fluttering weakly in the small breeze.

Vida ran over and upon seeing the arrow, scowled, knowing that she'd lost. She steeled herself for Xander's bragging that he was the best archer in the world, but nothing came. She turned to Xander and saw that he was flabbergasted, having not considered that his physical strength would send his arrow flying through the target and into the tree directly behind it. Deciding to be nice (for once) Vida knelt to examine the hole in the target and whistled in shock.

"I'm impressed, Xander. First time archer and already managed to pierce the target the whole way through," Vida commented, ignoring Chip's look that plainly said, 'What the hell are you saying, V?'

Xander blinked at his teammate, obviously shocked as well that she was complimenting him. After a minute though, he grinned and said, "Yeah, well, guess I'm more powerful than I thought."

Vida got to her feet and moved to gather her own archery supplies. As she began walking back to Rootcore she turned and, grinning, said, "Guess you are, Xander."


	15. Theme 15: Color

**A/N: **… Well, I know it's been a while, but at least it hasn't been 6 full months... Life has been irrevocably insane on my end; this has been done for months but I just hadn't found time to update this until now… Anyway, I have to say that this chapter was in part inspired by the exact same theme done by Enigmaforum in her own Ars Amatoria challenge. I've hopefully made it very different so that it isn't a direct copy of hers but I also hope that it works… Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "Broken Spell II")**

**Theme 15: _Color_**

**_Rock Porium, August 31, 2006, 4:00 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Vida closed her eyes and leaned against the back seat of her jeep. God, could life get any more confusing? First, there was that earthquake this morning then she had followed her best friend Chip and some guy she didn't know into the Forbidden Forest. Then, Xander and Madison show up in _her _jeep; turns out that Xander drove it, which pissed her off to no end. She'd get her revenge on him later. After being attacked by some crazy-looking monsters she later learned were called Hidiacs, she found out that she was a witch with the power over wind, which didn't bother her too much. What _did_ bother her was that she was the _Pink_ Power Ranger. Pink... who had ever heard of something so... so foolish? Vida hated pink; she loathed it. Any color would have been better than pink; hell, _violet_ would have been better, close that it was to pink. But no, she had gotten stuck with the color pink.

Vida groaned. Damn, now what? Udonna had already told her that the color choices were permanent, and as much as she wanted to demand that she be another color Vida knew that there was no choice of that happening (and she had asked no less than five times for a different color designation).

"Hey V." Speak of the devil; time for some payback.

"Xander, what did I tell you about taking my jeep?"

"Not to take it?"

"Yes, and what did you do?"

"I took it to get to the woods and give your sister a ride. You didn't want Maddie to walk all that way, did you?"

Damn it. Xander knew that she'd do anything for her sister.

"Fine, I won't punish you... this time."

"Thanks, but that's not the real reason I'm here. I know you're upset about your color."

Vida cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Who died and made you Mister Sensitive?"

Xander sighed and, running a hand through his hair continued, "Listen, V. I may not be the most sensitive and open person on the planet – that honor goes to Chip – but I happen to know that you hate the color pink. So, to lessen the apathy you have for color, I've done some research on past rangers."

"You, do research? Is the sky going to fall?" To prove her point, she looked at the sky and inwardly cursed; no clouds at all.

"Ha ha, V. You wound me," Xander replied sarcastically, opening the jeep's door and jumping into the passenger seat. "I'm serious. From what I found on those computers in Rootcore, each Power Ranger team that had a pink ranger agreed that the pink ranger was the heart of the team. Also, the pink ranger was a kick-ass ranger, using moves and strategies that the male rangers didn't think up."

Vida's eyebrow rose again. If what Xander was saying was true, then apparently the color pink fit her as a ranger color. Still... "How do I know that you're telling the truth here, Xander? How do I know that Maddie didn't send you to cheer me up?"

Xander rolled his eyes and, reaching into his wallet, he pulled out a slip of paper with a phone number, complete with an international area code. "Call that number, and you'll get into contact with my cousin, Kat Cranston. Apparently, when she saw that a team of rangers had appeared in Briarwood, she taped it and played back the voices, hoping to see if anyone she knew was a ranger. My voice was picked up on, and she called me, basically interrogating me until I admitted that I was the green ranger. First she congratulated me then told me to give her number to everyone on the team in case we ever need help, and I knew we would because you wouldn't believe what I found on the computers."

Vida took the slip of paper. "Help? Isn't she a civilian?"

Xander snorted. "Apparently not. She told me that she was the second Mighty Morphin' Pink Ranger, the Pink Zeo Ranger, and the first Pink Turbo Ranger, plus, her husband Billy was the original Blue Morphin' Power Ranger and one of the geniuses behind the Zeo Rangers. The computer proved her words true. She's in London right now, running a ballet school, but she told me that she keeps in contact with all of the other rangers on her team and does her best to try to talk to the new teams, which now include us. Kind of like a mentor, if you get my drift."

Xander got out of the jeep and, turning to go said, "Vida, pink's a good fit for you, whether you know it or not."

Vida watched her teammate walk away and, looking at the phone number shrugged. She had nothing to lose, and maybe Xander's cousin could explain to her the significance of being chosen as the Pink Power Ranger… and why she was feeling the urge to go to the nearest clothing store and purchase something pink.


	16. Theme 16: Yield

**A/N: **You know, I thought that I would update more often over Christmas Break, but GREs and Graduate School applications seemed to rule my life... more's the pity, I guess. Anyway, even though I am currently student teaching, I found some time to post this and keep my fans happy by throwing them a bone as it was... not that you're dogs, or anything... Hmm. Maybe I should just shut my trap... Anyway, Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "Code Busters")**

**Theme 16: _Yield_**

**Rootcore, September 5, 2006, 4:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA**

"Come on, Nick!" Chip exclaimed his hazel eyes watching as the Red Ranger ducked underneath a stream of water sent by Madison. The Blue Ranger was currently concentrating on trying to turn her Magistaff into its weapon form, which was a triton eerily similar looking to the one that was in the Disney© film _The Little Mermaid._ A picture in the Xenotome had proved that. When asked, Udonna had mentioned that the Mermaid's Triton and the Fairy's Sai hadn't been seen for generations, not since some of the first Mystics had taken up the Magistaffs; but that didn't mean that she and Vida couldn't get said weapons to reappear. Vida especially thought it unfair that Nick got a sword, Chip a crossbow and Xander a battle axe while the women were left out... and Madison agreed.

"Let him have it Maddie!" Vida yelled, deliberately choosing to support her sister instead of the new pretty boy. Honestly, just because he got to wear _red_ he thought he was so special. She certainly didn't think so.

"Um, how are they doing?" Clare asked, speaking so softly that Xander, who was sitting behind Chip and Vida, who were now arguing over who was going to win almost didn't hear her.

Xander turned and flashed a smile at Clare and replied, "Oh, fine, I guess. I mean, we're all new to this, so I guess they're doing ok."

"They are actually doing quite well," Udonna said her green eyes tinged with sadness as she watched the two rangers call on their elements. "I am very impressed with how far the five of you have come in such a short amount of time."

As Udonna finished speaking the spar abruptly ended when Madison went flying backwards, slamming into a tree trunk, her Magistaff falling from her hand to the ground. Vida instantly took off running, followed by Chip and Xander while Nick fell to his knees, exhausted.

"Maddie! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I think so," Madison muttered, acquiescing when Xander and Chip slowly pulled her to her feet. "That hurt though."

"Are you okay?" Nick asked, having come over to see if his teammate was okay.

"No thanks to you!" Vida spat, her grey eyes glaring at Nick.

"Vida, calm down. It was an accident," Xander said, playing the role of peacemaker, but failing. Vida turned her anger on him.

"He did it on purpose! I saw him! He put way too much power in that blast!"

"We're still newbies at this magic stuff, V! You think he had any control over that?"

"He should! He's the red ranger, so that means he has the most power and the most control out of us all!"

"That's not true, and you know it. You're just jealous."

"What'd you say?" Vida's eyes narrowed.

"You heard me; you're jealous." Xander knew he shouldn't have opened his big trap; Vida was glaring at him in a way reminiscent of when he'd pranked her in the fifth grade... and that had turned into a six-month long prank war which she'd eventually won.

"I'll show you! I challenge you to a duel!" Vida took out her Magistaff and pointed it at Xander, the wind picking up a bit at the anger in its mistress' voice.

Xander gulped. Damn, he'd really done it now. "Um, well."

"What, you're scared?" Vida smirked. That'd get him to agree. If there was one thing that Xander hated it was having his pride called into question. Hell, he'd taken on numerous dares from Chip and her in the past to prove that he wasn't a coward.

Nick, Madison, and Chip were watching the interaction between them, with the latter two looking bored. Nick turned to them and asked, "Do they do this often?"

"If you mean argue like spoiled five-year olds, then absolutely," Chip responded, his eyes alighting on Nick. "Vida'll accept an apology for your hitting Maddie if you do so sincerely. Otherwise, you're sunk."

"I yield! I won't fight you; not now." Xander's proclamation had Chip and Madison's eyes widening. Were they in the twilight zone or something? Chip glanced at the sky and shook his head; nope, no gray sky. That must mean they were actually witnessing this.

Vida faltered. He didn't just say that… did he? "What do you mean? Are you chicken or something?"

"Vida, don't say that." Udonna decided to step in and end the explosion that was coming. "It is very honorable that Xander chose to yield to you. He knew that with your anger he would stand a very high probability of losing this battle."

Vida turned to look at Xander, who was currently scanning the horizon. She glanced at her sister, who was nodding her encouragement at Udonna's decision and, lowering her Magistaff turned to Xander said, "I accept." Xander flashed a nervous grin at her, but before he could open his mouth to say anything she continued, "But, next time you won't be so lucky."

From that moment on, each training session always featured some kind of competition between Xander and Vida, each striving to prove that they were better than the other. Oddly enough, neither one of them yielded a battle again until The Master had been defeated once and for all. That incident was because Vida decided to do something totally unlike her – she dropped her Magistaff, strode up to a wary Xander and kissed him.


	17. Theme 17: Mirror

**A/N: **You know, it's March and I thought that I would be able to update more often. However, as life happens, student teaching and my damn Portfolio have taken up most of my time. Even so, here is the next theme. I particularly enjoyed this theme, which has numerous references to the episode in question, including some words… Anyway. I don't own this show, unfortunately. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Petrified Xander")**

**Theme 17: Mirror**

_**Rootcore, October 20, 2006, 4:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Xander fingered the bulbous pimple that had taken up residence on his nose distractedly. 'This sucks. My face is ruined, and all they care about is some stupid map. My face is more important!'

No one noticed Xander's distraction with his reflection until Chip ran over and grabbed the mirror he had been using. Xander's dark glare harmlessly bounced off the Yellow Ranger's back as the aforementioned used the mirror to reflect the map.

"Mt. Fuego!" was the general response of the collected rangers, all of them feeling like idiots because they hadn't realized earlier that the map was a mountain. Congratulations were passed around to Chip, who stood there proudly and modestly

'Is that even possible?' Xander wondered, sitting down on a step near the entrance to Rootcore.

Clare came over then and, picking up a small perfume bottle sprayed a vase of dead roses then sat back, biting her nails impatiently. Xander glanced over, curious, and felt his hope rise as he saw the roses become new again.

"Clare, what is that?"

Clare looked over and, ecstatic that someone was asking her to explain something (you understand, it was usually the other way around) replied, "It's a potion that I made to bring dead things like these roses back to life. I am so happy that it works! I can't wait to tell Udonna!"

Xander took in Clare's explanation with a calm expression but on the inside... 'Yes! This is the answer to my problem!'

"Brilliant," he whispered and, hearing the retreating footsteps of his comrades he made a decision. Picking up the perfume bottle he closed his eyes and sprayed a little of the potion on his face. Blinking, he placed it down and hurried out, missing Clare's words as they floated back to him, "It's not suitable for people, of course, but it really works on plants..."

**_Mt. Fuego, October 20, 2006, 4:30 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Vida was climbing up the mountainside of Mt. Fuego, mulling over her progress as a ranger. She was no closer to summoning the Fairy's Sai, but she knew that she was more powerful then she had been. The extra training with Clare and Udonna helped a lot.

"V!" Vida turned around and saw a panting Xander run up to her.

"What? Did you find something?!" Vida asked excitedly, hoping that Xander had found the prize – whatever it was supposed to be – so that she could go back to the Rock Porium and finish her shift as a DJ. She'd been sorely missing it, and considering that she wasn't allowed to practice it at home, work (and, to a lesser extent school) were her only places of solace.

"Hmm... oh, no. Not that," Xander murmured distractedly. Upon seeing Vida's eyes flash, he continued, "Look!" He fingered his face for emphasis.

"What?"

"That horrible pimple's gone!" Xander crowed, grinning happily at his friend and grabbing her arms to communicate his excitement.

Vida's face fell into half-snarl and half-frown before she replied, "You know, Xander, there's only room for two people on this mountain – you and your ego." She then broke free and stomped off.

Xander frowned. "She didn't have to sound so mad... she could have been happy for me," he muttered irritatingly, kicking a rock away from him before following.

Vida was pissed. 'Idiot. It was just a pimple; I had them all the time two years ago, and he laughed at me then. I thought he'd be over it.'

She sighed as the sun reflecting off something caught her attention. 'Oh well. Prat's going to get what's coming to him soon enough.'

How right she was, and Xander did learn a lesson that day – his friends were there for him, even if he did something massively stupid over something as minor as a pimple. Plus, mirrors just weren't all that appealing anyway...


	18. Theme 18: Impression

**A/N: **Well, I'm finished with my student teaching and my portfolio, and graduation isn't until May 1. Then, I have the summer until graduate school begins… Despite my obviously busy schedule, I **will** find time to update. This set of themes is getting more and more fun to write. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place three years post-"Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 18: Impression**

_**Collins Mansion, June 25, 2009, 12:00 PM – Silver Hills, CA, USA**_

The bi-annual Power Rangers Reunion was in full swing at Red Time Force Ranger Wesley (Wes, thank you very much) Collins' house ("More like a mansion," Eric Meyers had snorted the first time he had laid eyes on it). It was the Time Force rangers' turn to host, as Christmas had been the Lightspeed Rangers' chance.

Smells of barbeque from the five large grills in the backyard filled the air, as did the sounds of laughter and giggles. Those rangers who had children were watching them play with friends, and those who had no one but themselves to worry about were happily partaking in the... "extended" menu in a darkened corner of the yard. It was here that Mystic Green Xander Bly was seated, mulling over a strong brandy.

He was set to begin his junior year at Turtle Cove University as an art major. What few knew was that Xander drew, and he drew well. During a previous reunion he had been sitting in a corner, sketching what he saw when White Drago Ranger Trent Mercer had trotted over and casually grabbed Xander's sketchpad. Xander had instantly dove for it but ended up sprawled on the floor, cheeks red in embarrassment as Trent flipped through the pad.

Trent had convinced him to seriously take a career as an artist into consideration as a college career, and even agreed to give Xander a letter of reference (Trent was currently working on his own comic book, and was well-known in the world of comic book lure and artistry), which Xander had accepted gratefully.

'Here I am, drinking booze when I could be somewhere else,' Xander thought, eyes beginning to glaze over with alcohol. He shot a glance over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the scene before him, 'or doing something else.'

Mind made up Xander gulped down the rest of his drink in one attempt before leaving a few bills to cover his tab. Jogging out to his forest-green jeep he reached into the passenger seat and pulled out a pile of papers, a sketchpad and a collection of different colored felt pens. Moving back to the party scene he found an unoccupied corner of the yard, hidden by a large willow tree and began sketching in pencil.

As the minutes passed an interesting picture began to appear. Trent and his teammates were teasing Tommy Oliver ("Dr. O.! Please, for us?!" Kira begged, her eyes finally causing her mentor to sigh, roll his eyes and incline his head while casually reaching out his hand and pushing his best friend Jason Lee Scott into Wes' swimming pool, clothes and all). Xander managed to catch Jason's flailing arms and shocked expression in his drawing with his wife, Trini, laughed hysterically in the background, clinging to Tommy's wife Kimberly to try to stand up straight. She wasn't having much success.

Chad Lee and his wife Marina were lounging in the pool, contented expressions on their faces while Max Cooper prepared to perform a cannonball in front of them. Xander knew that that would not end well. The Wild Force Blue, though now 27 still acted like a kid… must be from hanging out with them while teaching bowling.

Justin Stewart and Hayley Ziktor were huddled over portable laptops, voices lowered to prevent any… "interested" persons from interrupting. Justin and Hayley worked with Ethan James in his video game company. Only open for less than three years, it was amazing how much money the three of them had made. Xander made sure to capture small details such as Hayley's claw-shaped earrings and Justin's thunderbolt tattoo that crept up the side of his neck (Xander thought the tattoo was super-cool and had memorized it in case he decided to get something similar).

Tori (whom, he had to admit, was still smoking hot even when held in her husband's possessive grip) and Madison were trading stories about using their powers to control water. Xander did not dare draw anything more than what he saw with those two, with no embellishment like he did with… "other" subjects. The two former rangers were sitting at the edge of the pool (far from Max, who was now being chased by an irate Marina with Chad watching, amused, with his best friend Joel and his wife Angela from the sidelines), feet dangling in the clear blue water. Blake, Tori's husband, sat next to her, an arm wrapped around her shoulders protectively. Nick was nowhere to be seen, off talking with someone else.

Finally, Xander's eye landed on the real object of his focus. When he had been called to help the Operation Overdrive Rangers against Thrax, he had become very close with both Will Aston and Ronny Robinson in that short period of time. They had kept in contact, and when he had introduced them to the rest of his team Vida and Ronny had instantly clicked.

Right now, the two women were sunbathing, their swimsuits doing nothing to hide bodies toned from their experiences as rangers. Ronny's fiancé, Will, was currently talking with Adam Park, who was holding his two-year old son, Willis, in his arms. Xander's fingers moved swiftly, taking in the scene quickly and with such accuracy that one would think a photograph was being taken, and not the creation of a drawing.

Xander looked up after a few minutes and blinked upon seeing that Vida had disappeared. 'Where did she go?'

"Hey," came a voice and Xander jumped. Damn, where had she come from?!

"V, don't scare a guy like that!" Xander reprimanded his friend, smirking.

Vida shrugged before sticking her tongue out at her friend. She had tossed on a pair of short-shorts and a tank top over her bathing suit. Xander shook his head at her childish action before turning his attention back to the scene he was sketching… that is, he would have if Vida hadn't snatched his sketchpad.

"V! Give it back," Xander demanded voice serious.

Vida looked at him strangely before dropping to the ground next to Xander, leaning against the tree so that she could be comfortable.

"Why?" she asked as she examined the sketch Xander had just been working on a few minutes ago. Damn, she had had no idea that Xander was this good. She'd seen some of his sketches and assumed that it was a hobby, but this… this was almost as good as Trent's drawings, which she adored.

"It's a private sketchpad, V. I don't go through your favorite mix-CDs," Xander responded slowly, eyes narrowing.

Vida glanced over at Xander before smirking and replying, "Yeah, well, let's just say that I'm curious about what you've drawn." With that, she began to move through the sketchpad from the end to beginning. Xander sat beside her, nervously fidgeting.

After a few minutes of silence, Vida turned a page and gasped. Xander cringed; damn, he was in for it now.

"What's this?" Vida asked quietly, placing the pad in Xander's hands. Xander looked down and mentally winced. 'Of all the drawings she could have seen she found this one…'

"It's a drawing; what else?" Xander replied, smirking. Vida lowered her sunglasses so that Xander could see her eyes. He winced. "Fine… it's you; happy?"

It was indeed Vida, but it was her djing at Rock Porium. Matoombo had been there that day, and Vida had been teaching him how to scratch records and, in the process had been dancing and doing back flips to the music. Her eyes were alight with glee and adrenaline, hair tinted pale pink and blue. Headphones were circling her neck and her fingers were splayed in the air, crossed in front of her as she did a back flip from behind the dj booth.

"Xander… why?" was all that Vida asked, clearly not comfortable with the subject. Xander realized this and mentally snorted. Wasn't exactly comfortable ground for him either.

Xander hesitated, before throwing caution to the wind. "It's because that's how I see you, V. You're this amazing person, former ranger, DJ extraordinaire, and it's like you don't even know it. You are so out there it's amazing, and that day in the store, I thought it was the perfect chance to just… just take down my impression of you."

Vida didn't answer for a moment, and Xander had the horrifying thought that she'd laugh at him, or even mock him. Instead, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Xander. Listen, uh, when we get back to Briarwood do you want to come to my next gig? Apparently I need some kind of escort even though I'm the DJ and I was thinking of bringing Chip but he said that he and Clare had something, and Maddy wouldn't want to come; Leelee's with her mom training and –"

Xander chuckled before pressing a kiss to her mouth. "Sure, V. Sure."


	19. Theme 19: Gift

**A/N: **My goal this summer is to either finish writing the themes and post them all or just finish writing the themes. In that respect, I need to update more often, hence this lovely theme for your reading pleasure. By the way, the holiday mentioned here has already happened, but I figured, eh, why not release this now? Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "The Hunter")**

**Theme 19: _Gift_**

_**Rocca Residence, February 13, 2007, 8:00 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Xander shifted from foot to foot nervously. He shivered; the temperature had dropped to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, remarkably cold for Californian weather. 'Odd how our Ranger suits don't let us get too hot or cold...'

Earlier that day he and the other rangers had been rescued from Oculous by Nick and his Mystic Battilizer. For what seemed to be the zillionth time in a few hours, he thanked the Mystic Spirits that Nick had decided to stay in Briarwood. It was nice to have someone who'd have your back whenever needed, and Nick did that... even if he sometimes didn't realize he was doing it.

'Enough about that. He's not the reason I'm here,' Xander thought, banishing thoughts over the overwhelming fear that had taken over him as he watched his friends disappearing one by one, and how weak and useless he'd felt. Instead, he turned his attention to cradling a small, pink-wrapped package in his arms. The package was small and square but plainly wrapped; no bow or sparkles were seen.

Xander took a deep breath before raising a hand and knocking on the door. After a minute, the door opened and Xander found himself staring at the Rocca twins' father, Kevin Rocca.

"Uh, hi, Mr. Rocca. Is, uh, Vida home?" Xander asked, internally cursing when he stumbled over his words. 'Nice way to make myself seem confident.'

Kevin's chocolate eyes raked across Xander's form, with focus given on the pink-wrapped gift in the young man's arm. Leaning against the door he said, "Xander. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Rocca," Xander replied, checking his nervousness as best he could.

"Dare I ask why you wish to speak with my daughter?" Kevin asked arms crossed. Personally, he had no problem with either Xander or Chip, having known them for years. However, that new kid... Nate or Nick or something... now he was shaping up to be a problem. Yet, despite how much he did like his daughters' friends (and there were few and far in-between that he liked) there was one thing he didn't like about Xander, and that trait seemed to be rearing its head...

"I wanted to, uh, give her a gift. I gave one to Madison earlier (not a lie, Xander comforted himself, as he had given Madison a gift card for a camera upgrade earlier in the day) and I didn't get a chance to give Vida hers," Xander responded, mentally crossing his fingers.

Kevin examined Xander before abruptly nodding and called inside for his daughter. A minute later, Vida came to the door and only the blinking of her eyes gave away her surprise at seeing Xander on her front porch at eight in the evening. Standing on her toes she whispered something to her father and after a moment, he nodded his head and, shooting one last glance at Xander went inside, closing the door.

Vida breathed a sigh of relief before walking towards Xander and hugging him in greeting. Xander returned the hug, made awkward by the package in his arms.

"What's up, Xan? We already exchanged gifts earlier," Vida asked. She, Maddie, Chip and Xander had always exchanged gifts on or around Valentine's Day; it was tradition just like it was to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade or personally set off fireworks outside of town on the fourth of July. The tradition now, of course, included Nick and Clare. It was intended to destroy the greeting-card, mushiness of the holiday and just enjoy it with friends.

"Well, I, uh, just wanted to give this to you privately," Xander responded. He thrust the package into Vida's surprised arms before stepping backwards to watch her unwrap it. As Vida did so, he hoped that she liked it; he'd already gotten her Kira Ford's latest hit CD. This one, however, was special.

Vida ripped off the paper and found a plain white box. Shooting a glance at Xander, whose face remained neutral she opened the lid and, digging through the tissue paper gasped in shock. She proceeded to lift out a pair of black and pink-striped headphones.

"Xander, this is, this is great! How did you get these?! They were sold out two months ago!" Vida exclaimed, admiring her new headphones.

Xander shrugged, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "'S not a big deal, V."

Vida looked at her friend incredulously. "'Not a big deal.'?! Xander, these are only the best pair of Djing headphones in existence, the ones that I've been wanting forever and that were sold out when I drove to Reefside to get them two months ago. How did you get them?!"

Xander shrugged again. "I have my ways," he muttered, embarrassed. Vida tilted her head in confusion. Xander would usually be bragging about how he had done this task when she couldn't, yet here he was, practically embarrassed that she liked his gift and wanted to know how he got it.

Vida gently placed the headphones back in the box and closed the lid. After brushing snow off the top porch step (snow was not unheard of, but Vida knew that for it to snow in California, something had to be going on atmospherically… or magically), she glanced at Xander, signaling that he should join her. He hesitated for a moment before doing as she suggested.

A few minutes of silence passed between the two normally talkative people before Vida leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to Xander's cheek. "Thanks for the gift, Xan."

Winking, she picked up her gift and reentered the house, the door shutting quietly behind her. Xander sat on the step, shocked until he slowly raised a hand and touched the cheek where Vida had kissed him.

"Thanks, V. Happy Valentine's Day," Xander muttered before getting to his feet and walking away, a small, genuine smile flitting across his face as he thought of the gift Vida had given him just now. 'Maybe I should do something like this _every_ Valentine's Day…'


	20. Theme 20: Scars

**A/N: **The inspiration from this theme came from my researching some of the past Rangers, as I wanted to incorporate them more into the MF season, which obviously I thought should have taken place. While researching, I harkened back to theme 15 for inspiration and this is the result. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "Stranger Within II")**

**Theme 20: Scars**

_**Rocca Residence, November 22, 2006, 2:00 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"She's been like that for days; weeks even..."

"It's ridiculous; that's what it is!"

"Lay off! You'd be that way if you'd been turned evil and attacked your friends and family!"

"Speaking from experience I presume?"

"N-no, but we should really leave her alone!"

"We do that and we don't see her for a few more weeks."

"Well, what do you suggest?"

...

"Anyone?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake!"

Vida, holed up inside of her room rolled her eyes. Honestly, they thought they were all so smart. They knew everything; how wrong they were. They didn't know what it was like to be evil, to fight against all those whom she loved and cared for, to see the naked fear in Clare and Maddie's eyes, the sadness in Chip and Xander's, the coldness in Nick's olive orbs... God, she couldn't even think about it anymore!

Gray eyes closed as she fought to keep the tears at bay. She couldn't cry; not here, not now. Maddie had a sixth sense for figuring out whether or not she had cried and would instantly try to play the nurturing sister, a role that she was good at, but something that Vida never appreciated. She was eighteen for heaven's sake! She didn't need to be coddled, and if her father saw her... well.

A knock sounded at the door, startling the Pink Mystic Ranger out of her self-induced pity party. Wiping away a stray tear, she got to her feet and padded towards the door, hoping against hope that it wasn't her sister.

"Who is it?"

"Xander."

Vida shied back, mild panic setting in. "What do you want?!"

"Listen, V, I'm here to help."

"How?!" Vida snarled anger eminent in that one singular word. "You don't have any experience in being evil, in seeing the fear and pity in my friends' eyes, the brokenhearted look on Maddie's face! No way in seven hells do you know what I feel like!"

A sigh was heard. "You're right, V. I don't."

"But I do." came a cultured, feminine voice. Vida, startled, stared at the door for a moment, wondering if she was imagining things. The voice, sounding amused added, "No, you are not hearing things. May I come in?"

"Who in the hell are you?"

A chuckle, then Xander's voice emerged from outside her room again. "This, V, is my cousin, Katherine Cranston."

"A fellow Pink," Katherine affirmed voice amused. "May I come in? I would like to talk."

"I thought you were in London or something," Vida asked, confused. At least, that was where she had been when Vida last emailed the woman a few weeks ago.

"Xander called me and said that you had a problem that I, as a fellow Pink might know how to deal with," Katherine said voice serious.

Vida gaped. Thoughtless, insensitive, arrogant _Xander_ had been smart enough to call someone to help her?! Was the sky falling? Vida glanced out her window and saw that no, the sky was not falling... which meant that Xander had actually cared enough about her to try to find someone to help her when he couldn't.

"Fine. You only." Vida unlocked her bedroom door and saw a fairly tall blond-haired woman, blue eyes peering curiously at the newest Pink ranger. Dressed in dark wash jeans, pink ballet flats, and a black tank top with a pink blouse open on top of it the woman looked nothing like the delicate ballerina that Vida had imagined. Hell, she actually looked... cool.

The woman smiled. "Call me Kat." She held out a hand to shake, which Vida took reluctantly. She glanced over at her fellow Ranger who grinned, somehow reassuring her that everything would be fine, even without his saying anything.

"Uh, come in, I guess." Vida stepped back and let the blond-haired woman step into the bedroom she shared with her twin, Xander's grin hovering in her mind. Once the door had been locked again, Vida made her way over to a bench underneath a bay window, sitting down and drawing her legs up to her chin. Kat looked around before making her way over to the young adult, silently asking for permission to sit down. Vida shrugged.

Silence reigned for a few moments before Kat spoke. "When I first arrived in the States, I was scared stiff; like a bloody corpse." She laughed. "It was made worse by the fact that I felt myself to be an outcast, everyone laughing at me because of my accent and my penchant for chlorine-tinted hair." Upon receiving a confused look, Kat added, "I used to love diving; I was a champion diver for a few years along with being a ballerina."

Kat took a breath before continuing. "When I arrived in Angel Grove, I didn't really fit in. My family was always busy, and I had trouble making friends. That's when Rita Repulsa found me." Vida's head lifted slightly. She'd heard the name Rita in passing from both Chip and, surprisingly, Xander, both of whom had become avid researchers of the previous Ranger teams upon their installation as active Power Rangers.

"She cast a spell on me, changing my entire outlook on life. I became outgoing, energetic, and companionable. I was easily making friends."

"But," Vida asked, wanting to know more.

"But, I became fascinated with one Thomas Oliver. I became insanely jealous of his girlfriend and felt that he had to be mine, and mine alone. So, Rita had me infiltrate Tommy's group of friends by giving me the ability to turn into a cat. I was able to prowl around Tommy's girlfriend and get more information on her, such as her tendency to practice her gymnastics late at night in the Angel Grove Youth Center."

Vida, by now, was extremely interested in Kat's story. It made a lot of sense, and she knew that Xander had felt much the same way when he had first arrived in Briarwood over a decade ago. Of course, Kat had had it harder because she had come to Angel Grove as a teenager rather than a kid, but still, the similarities were there.

"So, what happened?"

Kat smiled sadly. "I snuck into the Youth Center, stole Tommy's girlfriend's Ninjetti Power Coin and Morpher and ran. I took them to Rita, who then decided to break the spell on me."

"You mean,"

"Yep. Tommy and his girlfriend – Kimberly Hart – were Power Rangers. He was the White Ninjetti and she the Pink. Kim fell off the balance beam she'd been on and hit her head. She was in the hospital for a few days, and the Pink Ranger was out of commission." She paused. "When Rita broke the spell on me, I realized what I had done. I had deliberately harmed someone whom I had befriended; actually, more than one person, and put the world at risk by putting one of her protectors out of commission. I felt so guilty, like I should have been able to do something. But, the thing was, I couldn't have done anything even if I wanted to. It was like my real self had been shoved to the back of my mind and I couldn't do anything but watch and see what went on around me."

Vida watched as the veteran Pink let a tear fall down her face, smearing a small amount of mascara. 'My God, this happened over ten years ago... and yet, she's still scarred about it. She didn't let it stop her. She overcame it, became a Power Ranger and now runs her own dance school.'

"So, what happened?"

"Well, I snuck back up to Rita's base on the moon after telling Tommy and the other Rangers what I had done and snatched Kim's Power Coin and Morpher back. I brought them back to her and she got better."

"That quickly?"

"What I actually did was stole her link to the Morphin' Grid, meaning that she was slowly losing her life as Ranger powers, in general, unless willingly passed on to a successor will continue to almost literally feed off their first possessor, draining them. Luckily, I restored Kim's link to the Grid in time. Then, when Kim decided to go train for the Olympics in Florida, she gave me the ability to become the Pink Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger and Ninjetti in her place. From then on, I strove to do all I could to defend the Earth and make up for what I had done." Kat smiled at Vida. "So, you see that although scars like being turned evil by the villain of the year, as it was, never leave you, you can't let them control you. If you do, the villain's won. I'm sure you don't want Necrolai to win, correct?"

Vida looked at Kat, surprised. The Australian chuckled. "Xan filled me in over the phone. He was concerned; your entire team's worried about you, Vida. They're upset that you won't let anyone in to help you and that you seem to be drowning in what ifs and the possibilities of what could have been, how you should've been strong enough to avoid being turned evil. Let me tell you now, Vida, that it can happen to anyone. For heaven's sake, Tommy was evil at least two times; the second Pink Galaxy Ranger was evil for almost half her life before becoming good again; the Titanium Ranger from Lightspeed Rescue was the same way, except he was raised by demons for most of his life. The list goes on, Vida, but all you can do is move on and do all you can to not let it happen again."

Vida smirked. "So, you're saying I can do better?"

Kat chuckled. "Yes, you can do better."

A few hours later, Vida emerged from her bedroom, Kat behind her to a hallway filled with her concerned teammates. Madison instantly crushed her sister into a hug, tears dripping onto Vida's black and pink-stripped hoodie. Chip grinned, as did Nick, both glad to see that the normally tough Pink Ranger would be okay. Vida then moved over to Xander and, leaning up hugged him, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek in thanks. Then, winking, she moved towards the staircase, waving a hand in thanks to the Green Ranger for his help.

Kat, walking by on her way to help Vida find some more pink clothes (you understand, Kat had been appalled at the lack of pink in her successor's wardrobe) reached out and gently shut her cousin's open mouth. "Careful, Xan. Flies might decide your mouth would make a good home."

As the Australian moved downstairs, the other three rangers looked at Xander in disbelief, shocked at Vida's brazen action. Xander, meanwhile, shook his head before grinning. "Guess V's back to normal, huh?"


	21. Theme 21: Youth

**A/N: **This theme is shorter than what I usually write, but I think that its brevity fits the given prompt. This is also an experiment in writing style so I'm a bit nervous about it, but I think that it came out okay. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "Soul Specter")**

**Theme 21: Youth**

_**Rootcore, December 23, 2006, 8:00 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Chip, you're a fool sometimes, you know that?"

A pause. "Yeah."

"I agree with Xander, Chip. Opening a bottle that just randomly appears is never a good idea, and you should know that."

Grumbles. "Yeah, yeah. I acted like a rookie superhero. Sue me."

"You're unusually reticent, Chip."

"Yeah, well, that's what comes from being an idiot and doing stupid things like somehow acquiring a black hole in your stomach."

"Get over it. We're kids; that's what we do. We take risks."

A snort echoes from across the room. "You, maybe. Me, I much prefer pacifist tactics."

"Yeah, that worked _so_ well. I distinctly remember you getting blasted on your ass. That was a sight to see."

"You like that V? 'Cause I can show you more if you want." A raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Pfft. In your dreams, Xander." A smirk is sent back across the room, and one nervous Yellow Ranger decides to remove himself from the middle of the evolving battle of flirtations. After all, he is not such a foolish youth that he would willingly involve himself in something that might end in either cuts or bruises… or something else entirely. Yep, he is going to leave right now and not do anything but find something to take his mind off his flirting friends. Maybe Clare needs something done…


	22. Theme 22: Song

**A/N: **So, this theme was a challenge, but I think I approached it well. This would be one of those "missing scenes" that was never shown during the show but which we authors have access to, so enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Dark Wish I")**

**Theme 22: Song**

_**Rock Porium, March 23, 2007, 2:00 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Vida couldn't help it. She was so exhausted from the constant battles and magical training that she didn't even have the energy needed to DJ; an atrocity among atrocities, to be sure. She sighed in disbelief.

"Geez, I can't even lift my arms," Vida moaned looking at a particularly nasty blue and black bruise on the underside of her right elbow. "Thank the spirits that Dad didn't see this…" It was interesting, she thought, that since she'd become a certified witch she'd found herself believing more and more in Nature and her Guardians, including the numerous spirits that inhabited the forest surrounding the town... not that she'd ever let her father Kevin Rocca know. That would only lead to trouble.

Glancing over at her fellow Rangers, she noticed that exhaustion from fighting numerous battles without much rest was prominent. In fact, some days consisted of nothing but battles against the best that the Underworld had to offer, meaning that the multiple battles were beginning to take their toll. Chip, who was supposed to be sweeping the store on Toby's orders was, in fact, leaning on said broom, eyes closed. Nick was leaning against a wall, arms crossed and head down, seemingly awake but Vida could tell that he was most likely taking a catnap. Maddie was manning the register, head on her folded hands, eyes lidded. Xander… well. How surprising.

Snores filled the Rock Porium as the supervisor was seated in his "chair", skateboarding magazine over his face. Perhaps, Vida mused, he was attempting to absorb the information on how to improve the adroitness of his skateboarding. After all, he'd just wiped out a good ten times in a row at Rootcore before throwing a nasty fit (something uncommon for him) and throwing the skateboard over his shoulder, which Fireheart had caught and proceeded to chew on. Jenji had attempted to rescue the skateboard, but had finally given it up after Xander had caught a fairly charred wheel from the air. After a few moments, she grimaced.

'Now it's personal.' Vida scowled as her teammate's incessant snoring became even louder, something which was quickly coming to annoy her. Sure, Xander snored, but not this much.

'Exhaustion must have set in big time,' Vida thought for a moment before coming up with a plan, an evil grin stretching across her face, calculating that she had more than enough energy for this. Kneeling, she dug in a crate beneath her DJ booth, looking for something in particular. A soft cheer went up when she found what she was looking for, followed by a muttered curse as she banged her head off the bottom of the table. Getting to her feet, she first checked to make sure the bump hadn't begun bleeding then unconsciously fingered the green streak in her hair as she placed the item on the table. Turning around, she examined her multiple CD towers, looking for a particular CD with just the right song for the task ahead.

"Perfect." She plucked a shiny pink and green CD from the shelf and, inserting it into the CD player she had found grabbed a pair of headphones off the table. Plugging them in, she motioned for quiet as the other three Rangers, all of whom had woken up upon hearing her muttered curse and the rummaging at the turntables, watched her. Chip and Maddie, having seen Vida do this before remained silent, tired grins on their faces while Nick looked confused.

Vida snuck up behind Xander and retrieved the skateboarding magazine, tossing it on a side table carelessly. Then, gently, she placed the headphones over the Green Ranger's ears, fleetingly admiring how peaceful her friend appeared when sleeping.

"Showtime," Vida smirked as she pressed a button on the CD player and cranked the volume up to full power, grinning triumphantly when Xander's eyes shot open, panic overtaking the usually laid back expression. Flailing around, Xander ended up falling to the floor, the headphones landing beside him, still blaring Vida's song.

The laughter reached Xander's ears and all he saw was red. Jumping to his feet, he grabbed the headphones and marched over to the Pink Ranger, thunderclouds figuratively rolling around his head.

"Think that's funny, V?"

Vida giggled. "Absolutely."

Xander's scowl deepened before a smirk made its way onto his face. Vida, noticing the look instantly stopped laughing and regarded her friend curiously, afraid that he was going to do something that she wouldn't like… and how right she was.

"_It's a Small World after all,_" Xander began singing, a smirk still present on his face. He moved so that he was beside Vida and sung the entire song into her ear, ignoring the intake of air she took when his breath touched her cheek.

As the song ended, the two Rangers looked at each other before shaking hands, marking a truce. Chip, whose eyes hadn't left the scene for fear that he'd miss something snapped his fingers disappointedly, muttering a soft curse under his breath. Nick looked over at Madison, who mouthed "Later" and continued to watch her sister and friend, who had now begun to bicker over the relative usefulness of the theme song from _Barney_ as a wake-up call. Who'd have known that music would play such a crucial role in solving the exhaustion that plagued the five Mystic Rangers?


	23. Theme 23: Spellbound

**A/N: **Okay, so this theme was fun to do, as I had the perfect scene in mind for it. On that account, it's very short but I think that, like the theme "Youth" its brevity makes this one work. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Inner Strength")**

**Theme 23: Spellbound**

_**Ground Floor, Forest of the Giants Dimension, December 20, 2006, 2:00 pm – Mystical Realm**_

Xander couldn't help it; really, he couldn't. The clothes she was wearing... bloody hell, she looked like something out of a Wonder Woman comic! Well, more specifically, that one comic that talked about her origins and which featured pictures of her fellow warriors and mother...

'Stop it. You're sounding like Chip!' Xander silently commanded himself, forcing his eyes to move from their target to a nearby oak tree. Vida, having not noticed her friend's roving eyes was exclaiming over Maddie's new look, which Nick was looking at rather appreciatively, if the intensity of his stare was anything to measure.

"You look great, Maddie!"

"You think?"

"Definitely!" Vida leaned close and whispered something into her twin's ear, causing the Blue Mermaid to giggle and shoot a shy glance at the Red Phoenix, who cocked an eyebrow in response, a smirk crossing his face.

"I agree with V, Maddie!" Chip chimed in, digging in some nearby bushes for something important, if his serious expression was any indication. Yet, what he pulled out was... sticks? Maracas? How in the seven hells...

"Excellent! Music!" Vida practically pounced on the maracas, shaking them and grinning. She then began to shake the makeshift instruments while dancing, the air seemingly bending to her will, lightening her form and allowing her to perform stunts that she was not normally capable of performing... such as dancing a few inches off the ground.

"Join us, Xander!" Vida chirped stopped in front of the Green Ranger, who hadn't yet moved. Of course, Vida was oblivious to the fact that said Green Ranger was doing anything possible not to meet her eyes. Well, actually, Xander was desperately trying to stop himself from blatantly staring at his teammate's new attire, which seemed to show off her assets quite well...

"Uh, no thanks," Xander all but whispered voice hoarse. Vida cocked her head in confusion before shrugging and turning around to dance with Chip, who was seemingly banging sticks together in a makeshift drum. Hell, even Nick was doing something, hitting two stones together to create a deeper beat. Madison had grabbed a pair of maracas as well and was dancing with her twin, an unusual manic grin lightening her features.

Xander watched his team for a moment before shaking his head, attention swiftly focusing back on Vida. 'Damn woman, teasing me like that... wait. Where the hell did that thought come from?' Xander was too busy trying to mentally psychoanalyze himself that he failed to ponder just why he had been spellbound upon seeing Vida in a form-fitting leather outfit...


	24. Theme 24: Helm

**A/N: **Sorry about this coming out a bit late; always meant to update but things came up. Anyway, this theme was a bit difficult to do, and some other couples are mentioned in this theme, which is, of course, centered around Xander and Vida. Please, no comments on my choice of couples; flames shall be ignored. Oh, and there's a reference to a story by the wonderful JDPhoenix in here based on a certain Jungle Fury Ranger's color; I hope said author doesn't mind. Other than that, enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place three years post-"Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 24: _Helm_**

_**Mariner Bay Harbor, June 14, 2010, 2:00 pm – Mariner Bay, CA, USA**_

"You're serious?" Chip asked, bouncing excitedly in place. His predecessor Kelsey Winslow-Mitchell raised an eyebrow before nodding yes slowly.

"Yeah, I am. Why? Did you think I'd trick you?" Kelsey asked suspiciously, arms crossed.

Chip quickly shook his head no before replying, "No, that's not it at all, Kelsey. What I meant was that I can't believe you're offering to teach us all how to drive a speedboat! It's only a dream come true!"

Kelsey's other eyebrow hitched up. Her successor was certainly... enthusiastic, she'd give him that. Kelsey's overly exuberant personality had toned down a bit since her tenure as a Ranger, what with her marriage to teammate Ryan Mitchell after almost losing her life in a mountain-climbing exercise gone bad and the team's almost losing Carter in the Red Rangers' Mission to the Moon... for which Dana was still sore at having not been invited, much less informed as to what her husband had been doing. Carter had slept on the couch for a good two months for that fiasco, which was nothing compared to what Tommy Oliver had gone through when his teammates had found out... all four or five teams' worth.

"Really now? Are you an extreme sports fanatic too?" Kelsey asked tucking a stray strand of curly brown hair behind her ear.

Chip shook his head. "Nope. I just like to go fast. The sports junkies on our squad are Nick and Xander." True enough, as Nick had somehow gotten interested in surfing after his return home from visiting his adoptive parents, who, oddly enough, had somehow disowned him when the Red Phoenix had showed up with his biological parents. Thank god his adoptive sister Jaime hadn't done the same. Xander, of course, loved to skateboard and could be found talking to Shane from Ninja Storm often, and from Shane he'd met Dustin, Hunter and Blake, who had taught him to love motocross as well. Chip preferred archery and sword fighting, thank you very much.

"I see." Kelsey and her husband Ryan owned a rather large house near the entrance to the Aquabase where he worked on his archaeological projects and she in her sports shop down the road, which happened to rent speedboats and scuba diving equipment. She and Ryan liked to drive out onto the bay at night and look at the stars, leading to their expertise with motorized watercraft. It also helped that she and Ryan had tested some of the Zords for Andrew Hartford's team before he had found the Corona Aurora and released an ancient evil... which, oddly enough, was what had happened with Queen Bansheera. Therefore, they were skilled with underwater equipment, such as the Pink Overdrive Ranger's underwater submarine.

"Well then, who wants to learn besides Chip here?" This question was aimed at the seven teens (Clare had decided to tag along, and Leelee found that she just couldn't bear to be left behind with both her mom and her new step-father Toby Slambrook... can we say ew?). The teens looked at each other before simultaneously raising their hands in the air, a grin a mile wide on Madison's face.

"'Kay. Let me go get Ryan and we'll get going!" Kelsey chirped, waving as she walked back towards her home (a vacation for all of the ranger teams had been decided on that year in an effort to introduce the Jungle Fury Rangers to their predecessors without incident, as the Dino Thunder Rangers' introductions to their elders had been a _very_ memorable event for all involved). Said Jungle Fury Rangers (and their respective allies) were currently being enlightened to their legacy by some of the predecessors of their respective colors... though RJ had been placed with the mentors/Sixth Rangers as there had not been any Ranger of a Violet color before him, though the Pink Rangers had jokingly stated that he was part of them due to how close the color Violet was to Pink.

Clare, eyes taking in the large body of water in front of her involuntarily shivered and clung to Chip's jacket. "It's so big."

Leelee raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean to tell me you've never seen the ocean?"

"N- no, I mean, Udonna raised me in Rootcore. Before I met you guys, that's all I knew." Clare responded eyes looking at Leelee's, a bit of defiance in them. "It's kind of frightening that this huge body of water existed only fifty miles from Briarwood and I never knew about it." This was the truth; the Mystic Force team had been floored to learn that Mariner Bay was a scant fifty miles from them, located on the Californian coast. In turn, Mariner Bay was twenty miles from Silver Hills, which was then about ninety miles from Turtle Cove. Angel Grove, the first city to be home to the Power Rangers was merely one hundred twenty-five miles from Briarwood, with Stone Canyon right next door, surprising the Mystic Force Rangers yet again. Blue Bay Harbor and Ocean Bluff were next door neighbors, thirty miles apart and Reefside, Dr. Tommy Oliver's new home was only forty miles away from San Angeles, which was fifty miles from Ocean Bluff, making it difficult to comprehend why none of the veteran Ranger teams had helped their successors unless called in for a "team up" of sorts… which did not happen as often as it used to, much to Chip and Dustin's disappointment.

"Right. I was raised in the Underworld, and I'm not scared," Leelee bragged a smirk taking over her face. Hey, she may be friends with the sorceress now, but she couldn't resist taunting said sorceress. It just wouldn't be right.

Clare, in a moment of abject maturity stuck her tongue out at Leelee, something she had picked up from Vida. Said Pink Ranger, meanwhile, seemed to be arguing with Xander over who would take charge of the speedboat in learning how to operate it. Of course, each one wished to be in control… and that was where each one had trouble agreeing.

"I'll do it. My control over air can help keep the boat balanced," Vida stated arms crossed over her chest.

Xander's frown told his response to this suggestion. "Nope. It'll be me. I've been riding motocross for a few years now and that should help me out."

"What does motocross have to do with piloting boats?"

"How does your control over air help?"

"Me!"

"No, me!"

This was the basis of the argument between the two Rangers for quite some time, their teammates' heads copying a table tennis match as insults were traded back and forth, ranging from Xander's inability to hold a steady girlfriend for more than a few weeks to Vida's struggle to keep control over her burgeoning magical powers. Finally, the argument ended when Kelsey and Ryan walked up, eyebrows raised.

The five non-arguing teens shrugged their shoulders, signifying that this was seemingly normal behavior from the two Rangers. Xander and Vida didn't notice as they were too busy trying to figure out who was going to be at the helm of the speedboats.

After a few more minutes of fighting, Ryan rolled his eyes and, giving a set of keys to his wife walked up behind the two Rangers and, hands on their shoulders pushed them. The two young adults, caught off balance flailed their arms for a moment before falling off the dock and into the bay angry yells emanating from both of them.

When the two swam to the surface, beyond drenched and spitting out water Ryan crossed his arms and stated, "Kels and I will be piloting the speedboats, not you." The two teens glanced at each other sheepishly before shrugging and swimming over to the ladder that Nick and Madison had lowered into the bay. Clambering up, the two mumbled apologies to the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers before retreating to the back of their group of friends, apologizing to each other as they did so heads bent close. This battle may have been lost, but the war had just begun.


	25. Theme 25: Dependence

**A/N: **Sorry about the lapse in updates! I was on vacation and had limited time on a laptop… This theme was dying to be done, and the scene in question was absolutely perfect; a good way to see how far my favorite couple has come since the argument over the jeep. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

(**Takes place during "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 25: Dependence**

_**Unknown, May 12, Unknown Year, 4:25 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Vida stumbled as The Master deposited her and her fellow Rangers to the ground, falling to her knees as she lost her balance.

'More like spit us out,' she angrily thought as she stumbled to her feet. She and her fellow Rangers were still grieving over the loss of not only Udonna, but Lienbow and Daggeron. Jenji's sacrificing himself for them didn't leave a nice taste in their mouths either.

'Why couldn't we do anything; anything at all? We're supposed to be these warriors of prophecy, and we failed!' You understand, Vida usually didn't doubt herself, but her Legend Mode powers had been taken away, the Fireheart hadn't made a scratch, Nick was wallowing in self-pity for allowing The Master to possess him, thereby allowing the evil being who, oddly enough resembled an octopus to make it to the surface world, and she, she felt so damn _useless_!

"What now?" Madison asked arms wrapped around herself hoping that she could somehow ward away the self-pity that seemed to encompass the entire team. Everyone looked at Nick who had, over the past year become their leader in not only Ranger color but also spirit. Hopes fell when Nick looked at them blankly and turned to examine the barren wasteland outside of the small cave they had found refuge in upon their arrival. Chip's eyes roved around the cave, landing on Xander, Vida and Madison before moving back to Nick, his usually jovial personality quite subdued.

"That's it!" Vida muttered ready to march over to her _leader_ and knock some sense into his damn head, but before she could move she felt an arm encircling her and, reacting on instinct swung around, a fist raised only to halt before Xander's face.

"Xan! What the hell?"

Xander, to his credit didn't flinch at how close he had come to receiving a black eye from the irate Pink Sprite. He shook his head and, lifting a hand gently lowered Vida's fist looking into her eyes.

"Calm down, V. Everything will work out fine."

Vida attempted to back up but was unable to due to Xander's grip... which, now that she thought about it seemed a bit possessive... "Fine? You call us losing our Legend Mode powers, Nick's pity party and the death of three, no, four of our mentors fine? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Xander shook his head, not used to seeing the usually levelheaded Ranger lose control like this. "Vida, have faith. We wouldn't have been chosen if we had no chance of winning. We will win. You just have to believe it." He pulled her closer and hugged her, willing his strength of belief to seep into the Pink Ranger. He internally breathed a sigh of relief as the Pink Ranger's tenseness seemed to fade.

Vida had, initially, frozen when the Green Minotaur had hugged her. Xander, hug her? Don't make her laugh; that would never happen. Yet, when it had happened, she didn't feel awkward. In fact, it felt kind of, well, _nice_. How odd was that?

"You're sure, Xander?" Vida whispered not caring if her friends interpreted the gesture as something else. There were bigger things to worry about than Xander's and her status; if there was even one. Her hands slowly moved upwards to encompass Xander's shoulders, taking in the strength that he was offering her silently.

"Absolutely. We'll get through this. In fact," Xander paused and Vida could almost imagine the grin snaking its way across his face. "It looks like Maddie's getting through to Nick."

Vida chanced a glance over her shoulder and smirked at seeing her normally placid sister ripping into Nick, the Red Phoenix looking unusually subdued. Grinning, she turned back to Xander and, without thinking laid her head on his chest, ignoring the way that he suddenly stiffened. Xander was right, Vida thought, we will get through this in one piece. After all, how could she doubt him when he was her rock in all of this mass chaos?


	26. Theme 26: Moonlight

**A/N: **This theme is short and sweet, but considering this was a new attempt at a writing style, it fits. I'm pleased with how this came out. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Stranger Within, Part 1")**

**Theme 26: Moonlight**

_**Five miles outside Rootcore, Briarwood Forest, November 15, 2006, 4:25 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"V?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you out here?" A shrug.

"I could ask you the same, Xander."

"I asked first." Sardonic amusement.

"True, but I'm the victim here. Where are my rights?" A low chuckle spilled into the early morning wind.

"I see." A rustle followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground was heard. "You okay?"

"Fine."

"Liar."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I call 'em as I see 'em."

"Bull."

"Right back at you, V, because I honestly expected you to be the best. Since day one of this little experience you've been laid back than vicious; stoic and –"

"Flirting, Xander? I'm beyond flattered, but it's just the moonlight and me right now."

"… I see."

...

"What's so interesting about the moonlight?"

"... It'll sound stupid."

"V, since when have I made fun of you for something stupid sounding?" Silence and a look. "... Never mind. Anyway, tell me."

"I feel closer to my powers out here, as if the winds are trying to tell me something but there's a barrier between us. The daylight doesn't do the same thing."

"Interesting. I get the same feeling from the earth at times."

"Freaky, huh?"

"Definitely."

"Xan?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," a snort was heard, "but, I feel better in the moonlight, here... with you."

"... Same here, V. Same here."


	27. Theme 27: One Moment

**A/N:** This drabble is short, and was one of the first that I did this summer. Therefore, my style changed a bit here, and after doing some research on _Magiranger_, I kind of melded the two universes together… Hope it came out well!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place just after "Long Ago")**

**Theme 27: _One Moment_**

_**Central Park, December 15, 2006, 12:25 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Come on, V. It's not that hard of a thing to do," Xander coached the Pink Fairy as she wobbled unsteadily on his skateboard. Clad in a green helmet too big for her and elbow and knee pads too small, Vida really didn't look like the most fashionable person around. Then again, that wasn't why she was doing this.

"Says you!" Vida spat eyes glowering. She leaned forward and, building up speed with her left foot moved to place it back onto his skateboard but once again she lost her balance. This time, she lost her equilibrium and went flying, the skateboard spiraling towards a concrete bench at the side of the path and she into a small garden that the city council had sponsored to advocate the beauty of flowers, but which was now just a pit of weeds due to lack of maintenance.

"Vida! You okay?" Xander asked worriedly as he ran over to his friend. Vida, who was muttering curses underneath her breath as she moved her limbs, counted the spirits' blessings that she hadn't broken anything serious.

"No, I'm just peachy!" Vida snapped at her friend attempting to get to her feet. She hissed in pain when she found that she couldn't put any weight on her left ankle. What shocked her was not the injury (as a Ranger, she was getting injured frequently and, thanks to her advanced healing lost the injuries just as quickly) but the fact that she suddenly felt strong arms supporting her. Twisting her head, she found herself staring into the chocolate eyes of her teammate.

"V, I want to ask you something," Xander whispered after a moment a shaft of weak moonlight illuminating him at that instant. When he had gotten the phone call that one of his best friends couldn't sleep he had been surprised, but was more so at the request she had made: would he mind teaching her to skateboard at midnight? The reason he had heard through a rather confusing stream of babbling was that she really wanted to do something and she didn't want to disturb Maddie, particularly since she was still recovering from kissing a frog, even if that frog had been Daggeron. Xander had agreed only to regret it a moment later due to his losing beauty sleep. Now, however, he wasn't having second thoughts about teaching Vida at all.

"Yeah?" Vida whispered back, totally entranced by the moment. Sure, it was just one moment in a multitude of occurrences, but it felt like this time, this place was the most important of all.

"I, uh," Xander began but was interrupted by a shriek. The moment was ruined as the two Rangers looked at each other and, nodding, the two drew out their Mystic Morphers and, dialing 1, 2, 3 yelled out, "_Magical Source, Mystic Force!"_

As the Ancient Mystical Spirits Groungel and Wingel came down and clothed them in their Ranger forms, both shared the disappointment that a potentially important moment had been interrupted by some stupid civilian who couldn't keep out of trouble.


	28. Theme 28: Sacrifice

**A/N:** Let me warn you right now, this is **not** a happy theme. The idea came out of left field, but when I read back over it, it fit. It totally fit, and I even cried over how much emotion I got into this short drabble. You have been warned…

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place just after "Hunter")**

**Theme 28: _Sacrifice_**

_**Rootcore, February 15, 2007, 6:59 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

_**Vida's POV**_

I can't believe it... no matter how many times I replay our last battle, how Nick came flying to the rescue with Fireheart as his Battilizer and defeated Oculous without a problem, how we all were re-materialized after the battle finished, the end result doesn't change.

He's gone.

Maddie and Clare are trying to offer the rest of us comfort but it's obvious that their hearts aren't into it. Why should they be? He was a valued teammate and friend who always tried to protect us and, yet, when the time came for us to return the favor we were unable to. What kind of friends does that make us?

Liars and traitors, that's what. His family is en route; Udonna agreed to let them know what had happened to their son, cousin, nephew, grandson... Spirits, it hurts. It hurts so much that I can't see straight anymore. All I can do is stand here, arms wrapped around myself, and attempt not to sob. Too late. Tears are starting to streak down my face. I raise a hand to try to stifle my sobs but they still break through my barrier.

"It'll be okay," comes a voice and I whirl around, angry as hell that someone would dare to try to lie to me but fall into shocked silence at the sight before me. His spirit is there, standing, hands in his pockets.

"What, what are you –"

"Doing here? I was given one last chance to say good-bye to those that matter to me."

"But, but what about your family?"

Eyes are averted. "I already talked to them, briefly, in their dreams last night. But you, well, I wanted this to be personal."

"I –" My words are cut off by his lips, suddenly made corporeal pressing on mine gently. Eyes fluttering closed, I return the pressure, eagerly yearning to wrap my arms around him but knowing that I can't do it. He's not really there.

After a moment, his lips leave mine and when I open my eyes he's still there, sadly smiling at me. "Xan, I,"

"I know, V. I know." Smiling sadly, he waves then fades away a flash of dark green sparkles marking where he had been standing. I stand there, shocked, for a moment before smiling through the tears rapidly falling down my face, knowing that the sacrifice that Xander Bly had made was something he had wanted to do, to protect me. Even if he couldn't be here in life to do his job, he would still do it as a spirit. I now knew this, and knew that I would see him again one day; when, I'm not sure but I knew it.


	29. Theme 29: Home

**A/N:** This was an experiment in writing styles, and I love how it came out; hope you do too!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place a few months after "Mystic Fate II" and connects to Theme 28)**

**Theme 29: _Home_**

_**Rock Porium, August 15, 2007, 12:00 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

**Madison's POV**

_Beep. Recording to start in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... and go!_

"I still can't believe that it's over. I mean, we've only been fighting for like a year and, even though we've been told by other Ranger teams that it's never completely over, we sure feel like taking a break. Things have been so different, though. I mean, Xander... spirits, it still hurts to say his name. We've taken to staying in the Rock Porium every fifteenth of the month, silently holding a vigil (we call it the Watch) over his death and talking about all of the good attributes that Xander had and what he'd do now. I think that the person most affected was Vida, though she'd kill me if she knew I know this.

She loved him, plain and simple. It'd been building for months; years, really, but the intensity of their attraction was augmented by our time as Rangers. Yet, despite what we tell her, she says that he's not gone. He's been here, still protecting us, just like he did in life. Nick thinks she's lost it, and I've had to lay into him more than once. Nick's hurting too, though. Xander was one of his best friends, and when he died, well, Nick went into what Chip calls "self-pity mode". Nick was there with Fireheart and yet he couldn't save Xander. Clare had to reassure her cousin spirits know how many times that Xander wouldn't blame Nick for what happened; instead, he'd expect Nick to carry on and help protect his loved ones on the physical plane, something he couldn't do anymore.

Wait a minute... There's just been a hold-up at the door. Let's go see what's going on, huh? _Scuffles are heard as feet clad in sneakers head towards the door to the music shop, followed by the small jingle signifying its opening. The sounds of multiple pairs of feet entering are heard, then a gasp. _

Oh, my, spir – Vida! Come here now!"

_The click-clack of boots on the tiled floor of the store are heard. _"What's wrong, sis?"

"Look there!"

"Where?"

_A sigh._ "The tree, Vida. The tree!"

"What about the tree?"

"Don't you see it?"

"See what?"

_A sound that sounds suspiciously like a snarl echoes in the silent night air._ "Come on." _The camera, still on, is carried with its owner as the two girls head over to the tree._

"Maddie, what is so important that you dragged me away from the Watch?"

"Where is he?"

"He?"

"Me."

_The sound of leaves underneath boots is heard, followed by a shriek. _"Xander!" _The sound of two bodies crashing into one another is heard as they both hit the ground._

"Xander, you're alive! But, but how? I mean, you died! I felt your pulse leave and,"

"V, stop. I've been studying with the Mystic Mother to try to figure out a way to come back, back to you." _The edge of a smirk can be seen. _"If Kendrix can do it, why not me?"

"... You're not leaving me again, right?"

"Never, V. I'm home. This is my home, here. Briarwood, Rootcore... you."

_The camera's last glimpse is of a couple on the ground, kissing passionately. The woman's hair, tinted a dark green and bright pink is straddling a young male clothed in torn jeans and a tattered green tank top, a white dress shirt open on top of it. _

"Drat! Vida'll kill me if she knows this was on..." _Beep._


	30. Theme 30: Quest

**A/N: **This theme is yet another missing scene, taking place just before the Rangers' appearance in front of the Tribunal of Magic. Also, a celebration: I am half-way done with this set of themes! Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Dark Wish, Part II and III")**

**Theme 30: _Quest_**

_**Desert, Unknown Date, Unknown Time – Unknown Location**_

"Come on, it's not so bad!" Chip exclaimed excitement dancing in his eyes. Vida smiled, knowing that as long as Chip had hope then everything wasn't as bad as, say, Nick made it out to be.

"What? That we lost all of our magic, Toby's been "batnapped" by Necrolai," Nick paused, almost as if he couldn't believe that he had used the term "batnapped" then continued, "Daggeron's missing, Jenji's been taken by Imperious, Udonna doesn't even recognize us, and Clare's acting like we're ghosts! The world's black and white, with shades of gray and the Underworld's taken over! Who says it's not bad?"

Chip's excitement dimmed considerably at the mention of Clare. It was no secret among the team that the Yellow Garuda harbored feelings for the Gatekeeper yet she was oblivious. Vida thought it interesting, considering that Clare had confessed to Maddie and herself that she thought of Chip as her knight in yellow armor. Amusing, that.

"You don't have to be so harsh, Nick," Chip muttered.

"Someone has to be the realist!" Nick declared only to receive looks from his team.

"Nick, stand down," Xander said quietly eyes narrowed. Nick, never having heard his friend talk like this did as requested. "Listen: I agree with Chip. As dim as things seem, there is still hope. Koragg sent us on this quest, right? Well, let's do it and get back our world."

Madison nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. This is our time, our quest. Really, we're at fault and we need to be the ones to fix it."

Vida, smirking, added, "Let's take the blame, shall we? Quest or not, we need to right this world and kick Necrolai's ass!"

"Here, here!" Chip added smile overtaking his features again. Nick, after being scrutinized by the rest of his team allowed a small smile to cross his face and nodded in agreement. Xander let out a deep breath, relieved to know that "Plan Xander" had actually worked... for once. Vida, sensing his roller-coaster emotions nonchalantly slipped her hand into his. The fact that their fingers laced together without a conscious command escaped them... but not Chip's eyes, which gained an extra gleam.

'We're coming, Clare. I promise,' Chip silently promised glancing at Nick, who was now trying to hammer out an argument for the Tribunal of Magic on how to get their magic returned to them. He then looked at his two other friends, who were quietly chatting, with their hands still interlocked and added, 'With all of us together like this, we can win. I know it.'


	31. Theme 31: Why?

**A/N: **This theme is a little early for the featured holiday, but this is just where it fell in the span of the themes. I had a lot of fun with this, as I played around with a few more characters and favorite couples. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place a few months after "Once a Ranger")**

**Theme 31: _Why?_**

_**Angel Grove Youth Center, October 31, 2008, 9:00 pm – Angel Grove, CA, USA**_

It was Halloween, and the Mystic Force Rangers were beyond excited. This was _their_ time, a time where they could perform magic and not be questioned, where they could walk around in their Ranger forms (... not that they did that) and not be questioned as to where they had found the amazingly real replicas of the costumes, where their friends from the forest could walk around without fear and where they were currently attending the Halloween Party to end all Halloween Parties in Angel Grove, the home of the original Power Rangers.

However, things weren't all bright and cheery; rather, they were kind of gloomy and depressing.

"Why is he doing this?" Vida hissed to her friend Veronica "Ronnie" Robinson. The two women, upon being introduced by Xander after the whole "Thrax" incident had hit it off, and kept in contact regularly.

"Doing what?" Ronnie asked absently, a little distracted by how _nice_ Will looked in his costume (a musketeer, if she remembered her twelfth grade literature class correctly). Of course, he'd dressed up for her, but Ronnie sensed that he'd also done it for himself. One more step towards enticing him to fully embrace Halloween!

"That!" Vida exclaimed pointing at one person in particular. Ronnie looked over and inwardly groaned. Xander, the idiot, was flirting with Kira Ford, who was responding in kind. Her boyfriend, Trent Fernandez-Mercer was not happy either, sulking in a corner of the room with his teammates Connor McKnight and Ethan James, who seemed to be encouraging him to do something about the situation.

"I don't know; have you two argued recently?" Ronnie asked. It was common knowledge among the younger Ranger teams (i.e., those from Ninja Storm through Operation Overdrive) that the Green and Pink Mystic Force Rangers were in love with each other, though they themselves didn't see it.

"We always argue," Vida pointed out, exasperated.

"Maybe that's the problem," Ronnie shot back, irritated. She liked Vida as a friend, and appreciated having someone other than Rose (whom she got along with well, make no mistake) who loved music but sometimes it got to be too much. "Vida, if you like him so much, then do something about it."

Vida sputtered. "I don't like him!"

"Do so!" Ronnie responded. "Everyone knows it except you two, and it's getting to be annoying! Even more so than Will and me, but at least we were honest with each other!" True, it had taken the combined efforts of Clare, Tori and Kira to get the Black and Yellow Overdrive Rangers into each other's arms, but the feelings had been out there. Shyness and fear had prevented the two from acting on their feelings, but one locked closet had done the trick.

"Just do something about it before I sic Mack on you!" Vida blanched. Mack was an even worse matchmaker than the trio of females, as he'd tried to match his father up with numerous women in the past year or so, which resulted in some rather nasty break-ups. Vida and Ronnie both knew that if he caught wind that Xander and Vida were in need of some "professional" help, the Pink Ranger would never be able to live it down.

"Fine! I will!" Vida hissed. Ronnie watched in satisfaction as her friend (clothed as, ironically, a Vampire Queen) marched over to the Green Mystic Ranger and, grabbing him by the lapel of his Phantom of the Opera suit dragged his head down and kissed him. At first, Xander appeared shocked then, smirking, framed Vida's face in his hands and returned the kiss full-heartedly.

"What's up babe?" Will asked suddenly, having decided to sneak up behind his girlfriend. Without asking, he draped an arm around the Yellow Ranger's velvet-clad shoulders (Ronnie had decided to forego her usual tomboyish-clothes for a rather formal velvet dress from the Middle Ages), ignoring her sigh of resignation.

Ronnie, grinning, looked up and replied, "Vida's kissing Xander."

"I see." Will eyed the kissing couple before noting Trent walk up and, grabbing Kira's arm dragged her a few feet away from the Mystic Force Rangers and began to talk to her quietly. "Dare I ask why?"

Ronnie examined her fingernails absently. "In order to prevent Mack's matchmaking from interfering in their lives."

"Ah." Will nodded in agreement with the statement, knowing how badly his teammate was at the task. "Can't argue with that. Feel like dancing?"

"Absolutely." The rest of the party went pleasantly well, except for the incident where Mack's father was slapped by his latest girlfriend for something he said... and Mack began to realize that maybe he wasn't cut out to be a matchmaker.


	32. Theme 32: Perception

**A/N: **This totally came out of nowhere, but once finished I really liked it. I like to think of it as a look into the ancient forms of magic, plus redeemed Terrors are so much fun! Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 32: _Perception_**

**_Rock Porium, September 13, 2007, 4:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Matoombo was not stupid, despite his outward appearance. He'd proved this when he'd tried to find eternal sleep rather than allow The Master to rise again. His eagerness not only to prove himself to the Pink Mystic Ranger but also Itassis (who'd accused him more than once of harboring feelings for her... not that he'd admit to anything of that sort) had been branded as bravery and sensibility. Therefore, it only made sense to him that what he perceived was the truth.

"So, now you do this," Vida demonstrated how to effectively scratch a record to produce the correct sound. A smile lit her features. "You understand, Matoombo?"

"Yes," the former Terror replied excitement mounting. Being a "DJ" was quite fun and he enjoyed the various interactions and compliments he received for his work, but there was one downside...

"V, can I get your help over here?" The Green Mystic was at it again, Matoombo thought sadly as his friend gave a quick nod and placed her headphones on the table. The Green Mystic viewed him as a threat to his mating with the Pink Mystic but what was not understood was that the mating had already occurred.

'I do feel bad for them,' Matoombo thought to himself gently scratching a record. 'They do not yet realize that they are mated for life. They do not realize that Itassis' choosing of him to confront the Pink Myst – er, Vida, weeks ago and, in turn, the Green Myst – uh, Xander's, willingness to do whatever necessary to appease and defend her when their emotions were at the breaking point, the fact that they each would sacrifice themselves for the other without hesitation, all of this has cemented their relationship or, in more rational-sounding terms, their mating. If this was the Magical Realm, they would already be living together and working on a method to join their magic together to create a symbol of the bond... yet, here, they are tempting the Ancients by their attempts to ignore the bond.' Let it not be said that Matoombo wasn't well-read; even Itassis had admitted that he was more knowledgeable about the Ancients and the ways of old than she. That was why he had been so feared and why he had been dragged into the organization of the Ten Terrors – they had threatened his family with death if he did not join... and yet, when he had, his family had perished in the fighting.

"Are they refusing it yet again?" came a voice and Matoombo looked up only to nod. The feline-appearing Itassis merely sighed and watched the Green and Pink Mystics argue once more. "How much longer before the situation is brought to a head?"

Matoombo watched his friend and her mate for a few moments before responding, "A few days, I believe."

"Then what?" Itassis cursed her innate curiosity to learn more about the human world and, now, the lore of the Ancients.

Matoombo picked up Vida's headphones, fingering them before softly replying, "If they do not resolve their issues and begin to create the bond of their mating then, I believe, that the Ancients may take drastic measures." He looked at his friend's calculating expression. "Unfortunately, it is not our directive to interfere."

Itassis huffed, annoyed. "I do hate to sound like the Princess of the Vampires, but why not?"

Matoombo chuckled, the deep sound reverberating around the music area. "My dear Itassis, do you wish to get on Vida's bad side?" He sounded proud and considering that he had recently begun to look on all of the humans as his family, Vida in particular, it was not out of place.

Itassis looked over at the two Rangers, who were now at each other's throats and, closing her eyes could see the commencement of the melding of their two auras into one. She shook her head. "No, I suppose not. Although, I believe that they are realizing something at this moment." She motioned for Matoombo to watch the scene and both grinned to see Xander suddenly drag Vida into a heated, rather passionate-looking kiss. With that, both of their auras flared (only the two former Terrors could see this), joining as one.

"The Ancients are pleased," was all Matoombo said before returning to his new hobby of "DJing". Itassis, intrigued, stood next to him and watched the creation of music while the two Rangers discreetly snuck off to somewhere private and far away from prying eyes to finish what had been started.


	33. Theme 33: Another Step

**A/N: **Back to Clare's Diary we go! If you want translations of the words used here, just access a basic online translator.

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place after "Hard Heads")**

**Theme 33: _Another Step_**

_**Passage #40, Clare's Diary, Clare's Room, Rootcore, February 25, 2007, 4:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Really, it's getting to be quite ridiculous. Spirits, it's beyond ridiculous! Forgive me, diary, for my harsh words but Xander and Vida are being absolute buffoons, idiots, imbeciles, _liberi luperci, nenos de lobos_ and any other horrible names out there! Chip calls them something different but I'd rather not write that down here in case someone finds you... which they won't! You are special; you hold my innermost thoughts and feelings, which can be used against me. I know it, and as the legend goes, one's innermost thoughts can be used to force coercion, to force pure virgins to do unspeakable things, to ... Well. I think I've gone just a hint off tangent.

Anyway, back to the subject of this entry. Xander and Vida. It is bordering on the ridiculous that they aren't coming together at all. I mean, I can see it, and I'm sure if Udonna was here she'd be able to see it too. Their magical auras are growing not only in power but in nature. They are inching closer to one another, longing to be one. I am not as oblivious as they think me, and I know for a fact that they like each other. I don't mean, 'I like you as a friend/powerful ally' but as 'I like you as a possible mate and spouse because our souls fit together as one', which is **so** what they are. Nick and Madison are exactly like this, and I've heard Daggeron stating that Lienbow and Udonna were once like this... and I know that he's hoping that they will be again. I kinda wish the same thing for me.

Where was I... oh yeah. Xander and Vida are constantly arguing over even the smallest thing, but I've kinda noticed that since the whole thing with Hekatoid (Chip keeps me well-informed about anything that happens outside of battle when he comes to visit, chat, talk, or whatever you call it) Vida's stubborn streak's started to wear down. I mean, she doesn't resist things as much, like staying here 'till midnight four nights out of seven to learn new spells or training endlessly to retrieve the Fairy's Sai and, according to Chip, she was actually cordial to Xander when he told her to take out the trash. Chip had this shocked look on his face, like it was a real miracle that anything like this had taken place and after knowing both of them for so long, I agree. Really, though, this was one step forward for them to end up... wherever they end up. I mean, I know that **I** really want to see them together, but they may not do it... but their auras'll probably force them together. So... yeah. I guess we'll see.

Oh, spirits, that's the alarm! I have to go! The _Lwc_ _Potion_ needs to be tended to so I'll talk to you later! _Adeus!_"


	34. Theme 34: Duty

**A/N: **First, sorry for the wait. Graduate school's a pain in the ass. Secondly, I am going to say this once and only once. Any similarity in this theme to the _Twilight Saga _and its idea of vampires is purely coincidental. So, do not think me a copycat; this is how I see vampires.

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Mystic Fate I")**

**Theme 34: _Duty_**

_**Rock Porium, May 10, 2007, 2:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Leelee Pimvari sighed as she watched her fellow co-workers. She was truly grateful that they had offered her a way out of the Darkness, the Underworld, Infershia... whatever you wanted to call it. She was grateful that she had somewhere to live (the Rocca twins had somehow convinced their strict father to let her stay with them, making up spirits knows what as an excuse), that she had real friends now and, hopefully, a beau in that too-cute Troblin Phineas.

However, despite all of the good things that had happened so recently in her life, there were some negative points. Her mother, for one. Leelee could remember happier times when she'd had a real mother and father... before her mother had turned her father into a worm and fed him to a Hidiac. That was truly gruesome.

The guilt she felt over helping her mother try to destroy her new friends was certainly another downer in her life. The fact that she'd almost succeeded in helping turn Vida into a real and true vampire... Leelee shuddered. That was wrong, and even then, it wasn't a real vampire. It was a "zombified" version, one that required endless supplies of blood and was not able to endure any amount of sunlight. She and her mother, on the other hand, were true vampires. They required blood, sure, but animal was a preference to human. Too much iron in human blood. The fact that they could walk around in the sun without a care (spirits, Leelee had even gone to school!) showed that they were real vampires. Despite this, Clare had reassured Leelee time and again that she was forgiven for all of that she had done because she'd helped to rescue Udonna from Hekatoid, that gruesome toad-like Terror. That big a deed deserved some kind of reward, and forgiveness for what she had done was for Leelee.

The third negative point, Leelee reflected while counting out a customer's change was that –

The simultaneous chime that sounded from five pockets caught her attention and she subtly nodded to her friends as they raced out the door, fear written on their faces. This was it. Leelee knew that the end was coming, and all she could do was stand back and watch, offering her support if needed but she knew that a lot of her power was weakened. Renouncing her standing in Infershia will do that to you. As she watched the five color-clad teens race out the door, she noted that four of the five were holding hands.

'Nick and Madison...saw that one coming a mile away,' Leelee thought as she quickly ushered the last customers out the door, switching the sign to "Closed" at Toby's nod. Phineas, who had been watching from behind the DJ table, came up behind her. 'Xander and Vida, though... that was unexpected.'

"Ah, young love," Phineas remarked eyes slightly misty. "'Twas destiny, that one."

"Which one?" Leelee asked, askance.

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell, ya know." He winked at her. "Made me swear on the Troblin Pledge and all."

Leelee sighed and, battering her eyes asked, "Pretty please? For me?"

Phineas became a bit flustered and, caving, responded, "Well, the Green and Pink Rangers. Legend has it that they will become one as will Red and Blue, Yellow and Pale Lavender."

Leelee nodded as she watched the five teens vanish into action, a mélange of colors announcing their transformation. She smiled as she watched the Green Ranger press a quick kiss to the Pink Ranger's glove before silently calling his Mystic Axe into action. "Legend may say that they'll join, but it'll not be of duty. No, their duty is to defeat The Master; love says that they will come together." She shook herself as she felt the mushiness start to creep into her being.

"Not a word, Phineas, about what I just said. Got it?" At the Troblin's confused nod, Leelee smirked. It was good to have friends.


	35. Theme 35: Dawn

**A/N: **So, I had a lot of fun with this theme, as I loved the prompt, and the writing style was a total experiment. I really like how the theme came out. Also, to anyone who celebrates Thanksgiving, have a good one while pigging out on turkey!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place five years after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 35: _Dawn_**

_**The Great Barrier Reef, August 17, 2012, 5:30 am – Australia**_

"Isn't it grand, V?"

You glance at your new husband and wearily nod, too tired to really create a coherent reply. The good-morning kiss does the trick better than three cups of coffee with five containers of cream and one of sugar, though.

"Come on, V. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Chocolate eyes fixate on the sky as seen from a small sailboat that bobs in the blue-green water off the coast of Australia. An Australian accent, which has always been heard, is now a tad stronger since its owner's return to his nation of origin.

"What, the sunrise? We can see this from home," you respond, stretching. Your pink and green tie-dyed tank top rises upwards, drawing your husband's eyes to your body, which you really don't mind. After all, he's seen and touched every part of it already. After a moment, though, two sets of eyes meet before one pair's owner grins.

"Just wait, V. It's so worth it to be up this early in the morning." You cock your head, curious. Seeing your look, his grin widens. "It's the colors, Vida, that you'll love the most."

"You promise, Xan?" you ask wearily standing up. Your eyes alight on the sky before gasping in delight. Colors of every shade imaginable are now streaks in the sky, as a painter's brush would place them on a canvas. You sense more than feel a pair of strong, tan arms wrap around you from behind.

"… This is so worth the early morning," you remark too in awe to really say anything else.

"Told you, V. The dawns here in Australia are worth the wait… and they're only going to get better."

You smirk up at him, having long gotten over your annoyance of his having a few inches to a foot's height advantage over you. "Oh yeah?"

"Most definitely." You soon decide that there are better things to do with your morning than look at colors in the sky; much better things.


	36. Theme 36: Let me tell you a story

**A/N: **So, the idea for this theme came out of nowhere, but once I completed it I just knew that it felt right. The focus is, of course, on Xander and Vida but I played around with some different things, plus the other Mystic Force couples are prominent. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place 38 years after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 36: _"Let me tell you a story"_**

_**Main Room, Rootcore, December 24, 2065, 8:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Come on, Grandma! One more story!" A young boy, ginger hair tied back in a rattail grinned toothily up at his paternal grandmother. The woman, whose snow-white locks hung around her face as they had so very long ago merely smiled, blue eyes twinkling.

"Yeah, please?" This time, a young girl with olive-green eyes and black hair tied back in a messy braid that stretched over her shoulder pleaded, hands clasped in front of her. Anyone who was watching could see that she was trying to use her innate charm to get her way. Her identical twin in all but eye color (hers were a cool gray) nodded in agreement.

"We really do like your stories," a third voice piped in and the elderly woman glanced over to a corner to see a slightly older child, perhaps around ten or so. Bleach-blond hair hung loosely around his face, a few dark blue streaks placed throughout for a contrasting effect. Chocolate-brown eyes glanced at his cousins in all but blood (well, the twins were his, but the ginger-haired boy and his older sister were his cousins in everything but blood) before returning to the older woman, a lopsided smile creeping onto his face.

"Agreed," a girl, perhaps a year older than the bleach-blond boy added hazel-blue eyes sparkling. A bob of strawberry-blond hair completed her look.

The elderly woman sighed, a smile quirking on her lips. "Oh, very well. Just make sure that your parents are agreeable."

"They are; I already asked them!" the black-haired twin with gray eyes piped, a grin threatening to encompass her face.

"Alright then." She straightened out her white skirt, the glint of a gold and silver ring catching the dim light from the reflective lights stationed on the ceiling. "What kind of story would you like to hear?"

A mad discussion broke out among the five children until one voice succeeded in being heard. "Our grandparents... the ones who were never here. That is the story I wish to hear." Surprisingly, this came from the boy with the blue streaks. The woman hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Very well. What about your grandparents?"

"Why weren't they here to raise us? Why do we have to live here in Rootcore and never leave the protection of the forest?" The strawberry-blond girl asked these questions, sorrow and anger mixed in her voice.

The white-haired woman sighed. "Before I tell you, I must relate this: this story is not something to be taken lightly. Everything I am about to tell you is absolutely true. It is not a myth." She paused then continued. "Many years ago, before any of you were born or thought about, the creatures of the forest and the human realm lived in harmony. The Mystic Force Rangers had succeeded in defeating The Master, Octomus, and bringing Light and Dark Magic together once more, fulfilling the ancient prophecy. After this magnificent feat, the Rangers soon began to pair up, as heroes tend to do." She flashed a smile at the two black-haired twins. "Your grandparents, Nick Russell and Madison Rocca, were the Red Phoenix and Blue Mermaid." She glanced at the ginger-haired boy and his strawberry-blond sister. "Yours were the Yellow Garuda, Chip Thorn, and," she paused, a genuine smile on her face. "and, of course, me."

She then looked over at the blond-haired boy with streaks and, smiling sadly, said, "Yours were the Green Minotaur and the Pink Fairy, or Xander Bly and Vida Rocca."

"Why so sad, Gram?" the woman's granddaughter asked, head cocked to the side.

"They were all my friends, my child, and when I lost them... it was as if life had ended for me." She shook her head. "No, not quite like that. I suppose that I must continue the story, hmm?" At the excited nods, she sadly smiled.

"After their marriages, the Rangers made Briarwood their permanent home, and with the White Sorceress and Red Wolf Knight, Rootcore was rebuilt into its current state. The Solaris Knight and his genie Jenji, of course, helped as well, as did numerous other friends and for a few years peace reigned supreme. Then, everything changed..."

_**Rootcore, April 25, 2015, 8:30 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

_"Come on! This way, and hurry!" Streams of panicked Briarwood citizens and magical creatures flocked into the much-enlarged Rootcore, hearts beating and, in some cases, blood flowing from gaping wounds. Inside of the forest, just on the edge of the barrier between Briarwood and the forest, five figures were glowing brightly._

_"Momma!" a small girl cried out, arms reaching for a woman clothed in pale lavender and yellow. Clare Thorn, more commonly known as the Gatekeeper to her magical brethren scooped up her daughter and handed her off to Jenji, silently commanding him to take her inside. Ignoring the cries of her four-year old daughter, Clare ran towards the row of warriors, heart beating furiously._

_"Magical Source, Mystic Force! Power of the Gatekeeper!" In a flash of light, Clare's simple dress was replaced by an ornate outfit, staff settling into her hands. Racing up beside her husband, she chanted a rather complex spell and the five warriors sighed in relief as a magical barrier flew up between them and the oncoming army of mechanical beings._

_"Clare, you shouldn't have done that!" Nick snapped eyes exhausted. Madison laid a hand on his shoulder, soothing his temper._

_Clare raised her chin defiantly. "I am just as much a Mystical Warrior as you five, and therefore can do as I wish. Plus, if you didn't notice, I saved you from exhausting more of your energy." Chip, shooting a look at the Red Phoenix wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders and led her away, muttering reassurances in her ear. Nick, furious, shrugged off Madison's hand and stalked away to destroy something in peace._

_"His temper's not helping at all," Vida piped in, sarcasm heavy. She didn't protest when Xander wrapped his arms around her, his body leaning on hers. They had probably been fighting the hardest out of the five original Mystic Warriors as their magical auras were the most joined, meaning that they drew on each other more than Nick and Madison or Chip and Clare. Lienbow and Udonna were currently busy trying to ensure that the remnants of Infershia weren't being raised again while Daggeron was talking with the Snow Prince and the Mystic Mother to try to find a solution. Therefore, the defense of both the humans and magical peoples of Briarwood fell, once again, to the Mystical Warriors._

_Madison sighed. "I think he's angry that we have to do this again, especially when we have the kids." Her sister and brother-in-law fell silent, thinking about their own children. Udonna had been ecstatic to know that she was going to be a grandmother (after all, she counted all of her Rangers as children, not just Clare and Nick) and Lienbow, after some prompting had also been excited. Daggeron, who had become something of a surrogate uncle to the Rangers (more a father to the Rocca twins after the death of their biological father Kevin Rocca during The Master's attack) had jumped right into the mix, offering his services whenever needed._

_"We are all, Maddie, but we need to protect them more than anything else." Xander's eyes were dead serious, no hint of the usual playfulness that haunted their depths present. "We need to defeat this "Venjix" thing and get things back to normal around here."_

"_Absolutely," Vida vowed wrapping her arm around her husband's. The two drew comfort from each other, each wanting to get back to their kids as soon as possible. The previous week, an announcement had sounded on the television sets worldwide about the Venjix Virus; hours later a horde of mechanical beings, called "Grinders" had attacked, forcing the Mystic Rangers back into action. It was not something they wished to do, but knew that they had to do it anyway._

"_They're coming back!" Madison exclaimed spinning around and, chanting a short incantation launched a tsunami at the Grinders. Electricity soon joined her attack, and the attack force was turned into smoking bits of metal._

"_Please tell me they're almost dead," Clare whispered staff in hand. She and Chip had just left their four-year old daughter and eight-year old son again to join the fight._

_Vida shook her head as with a snap of her fingers a pink whirlwind swept up the mechanical pieces and dumped them into a ravine that Xander created, then closed up again. "I don't think so, Clare. But spirits above, I hope so."_

"_The fight continued for months, but finally, even the great Mystic Warriors fell. Madison was the first to go. While out gathering food, she was ambushed by a mechanical being that we eventually learned was called Crunch. We knew that she had fought defiantly and bravely to return to her two daughters and son, but all we received back were her engagement and wedding rings. Nick fell into a deep, dark depression; it made sense that he would be the next to go. He and Madison had been soul-bonded, and her death cut him deeply; despite our insistence that he stay with his kids and not do anything foolish, he tried to reach the city of Corinth to obtain some high-tech weapons, feeling that maybe they would make a difference. Unfortunately, he too was ambushed, and his shiny red car was lost forever in the Wastes._

_My Chip was the third to go. Ambushed while training a squad of young magicians and elves in guerilla warfare tactics, most of which had been proven effective at fighting off the enemy, he held off the swarms of Grinders, allowing time for the fledglings to escape. I, I never saw him again; we didn't even recover his body._

_Vida was fourth. While fighting with her friend Leelee, the new Queen of the Vampires, against some of Venjix' higher ranking monsters, she was shot with some sort of laser that paralyzed her. Despite Leelee's efforts to bring her back to Rootcore, she, too, was shot down. They were taken to see Venjix; as with the others, I never saw them again. Finally, Xander. Like all of us, he had been soul-bonded to his beloved, and as with us he was cut deeply. However, due to the joining of their auras years before, and the deepness of their bond the cut was much, much deeper than Nick's wounds. Xander did what he could to ensure that we lived in relative peace; he did succeed. He raised an impenetrable barrier that encompassed all of Briarwood before succumbing to the large amount of wounds, physical, mental and emotional, that he had received._

_After Xander passed, Lienbow and Udonna took over the fight, and like their son Nick, they perished in battle as well. Jenji managed to save Daggeron from death, but the former Solaris Knight became paralyzed from the waist down. That is why he is in a wheelchair today. The magical folk did what they could to help us all out, and in doing so, we survived. _

_As for myself, I managed to survive to raise your grandparents and, in turn, watched them grow up and find their own soulmates. Now, I am here today."_

_**Main Room, Rootcore, December 24, 2065, 8:59 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"That barrier is still in place today, and until the threat is completely dissipated, we shall stay here in the protection that was given to us by the Mystic Warriors." The woman smiled at her audience sadly, tears slipping down her face. "Your grandparents were all heroes. They gave their lives to protect us, and we can ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain by remaining safe."

The five children were silent, each of them wondering at what they had learned. Soon enough, though, the call came for them to go to bed. They each did so, wishing the woman good-bye as they did so. The blond-haired boy with the blue streaks paused before leaving the main room of Rootcore, turning to the woman. All she heard was a shy thank you and a promise that he would honor his grandparents' memories in whatever way possible.

The woman sat for a few moments before waving her hand, causing the lights to dim until a small shaft of moonlight could be seen surrounding her. She closed her eyes, reveling in the silence until she heard a multitude of footsteps. Opening her eyes, she gasped in shock. Before her were her dearly departed friends, all with smiles on their faces.

"Clare? It's time to come home," a man dressed in yellow and black said gently, eyes looking at the woman with a shining love. The woman was shocked to realize that the wrinkles that had once covered her hands were gone and her hair was back to its dirty-blond shade, the color that it had been when she had first met her husband.

"Really?" The woman, now identified as Clare Thorn whispered standing up.

"Yep," A woman dressed in blue answered, encompassed in the arms of a man dressed in red and black, his eyes the same shade of one of the black-haired twins.

"Welcome home, Clare. Thank you for watching over them." The green-clad man smirked happiness shining in his eyes. His wife, a woman dressed in shades of pink, white and black merely shook her head before holding out a hand. Her other hand was grasped in the man's, a pair of wedding bands shining.

Smiling, Clare took the proffered hand, stepping closer to her friends. As her husband wrapped his arms around her for the first time in over fifty years, she grinned. "Let me tell you a story, guys, about what all you've missed..."


	37. Theme 37: Simplicity

**A/N: **The aim with this theme was to explore Xander and Vida pre-Mystic Force, and show some more of the four original Briarwood teens in high school. Oh, and Happy belated Holidays! Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place a few months before "Broken Spell I")**

**Theme 37: _Simplicity_**

_**Gymnasium, Briarwood High School, May 3, 2006, 2:30 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Alright people, let's keep this nice and simple," the gym teacher stated navy eyes drilling holes into the backs of his class. He raised his hands into the air and, after glancing at the two teams dropped them. He moved just in time to avoid a rubber orange hockey puck striking him in the head.

"Thorn! Sidelines, now! Five minutes!"

"Aw, Coach,"

"Now!"

Grumbling, Chip Thorn dragged himself over to the sidelines, not content at all that he was out of the game for five whole minutes. Who knew what could take place in five minutes?

"Damn, he's out." A girl clad in dark blue and red, the colors of Briarwood High School commented, a piece of dyed orange hair falling into her eyes. Her twin shrugged.

"We'll do fine, Vida, as long as we stay away from Xander."

Vida snorted. "Yeah. Sure. Since when has Xander ever kept the game simple? He usually pulls fancy tricks and maneuvers to try to score."

Madison rolled her eyes before stating, "Have you ever thought that he doesn't do simple stuff because he wants to impress you?" Upon receiving an incredulous look, she added, "I mean, the cliché **does** say that boys tend to do mean things to the girls that they like."

"Come on! All he's doing is showing off like the giant flirt he is!" Vida stopped talking to her twin to halt the orange puck from slipping past her (she was on defense) and, avoiding a clumsy play from the other team hit the puck so hard that it went flying past the defense on the other side of the gym and landed just inside of the goal, leading to a point.

"Score!" the coach exclaimed, hand pointing towards Vida's team. Said teen smirked proudly while her twin rolled her eyes. He glanced over to Chip and, sighing, said, "Get back in there, Thorn, and please do not aim the puck at me."

"Sure thing!" With that, Chip ran back to his team, who looked relieved to have one of their best shooters back. With that, the game was back on and this time no talk took place. Xander's team was hell-bound to get back at Vida for her goal and within five minutes, Xander and Vida ended up facing off, the puck between them. The rest of the class had backed off, leaving the two teens to glare at each other.

"Keep it simple," the coach pleaded clipboard held in his hands. The teens ignored him, soon getting into a harsh argument that their friends tried to halt with no luck. The coach finally gave up, tossing the clipboard into the air in disgust.

"Simple is my middle name, V," Xander boasted eyeing the furious teen for a moment before smirking and knocking her feet out from underneath her. "Simple is as simple does, V." With that, Xander drove the puck into the goal, grinning.

Madison and Chip looked at each other and Chip silently handed over a wad of bills as their friends somehow ended up in a physical altercation over who was the better shooter. The gym teacher tried to interfere only to get knocked to the ground by an errant punch. The two fighters stopped to apologize to their fallen teacher before resuming the fight. Yes, simplicity was something that **really** described Xander and Vida's relationship well... not.


	38. Theme 38: Beautiful

**A/N: **Okay, this one is definitely short, but I wanted this to be simple, hence the length. Plus, well, we all know how good Xander is at screwing things up… and that's all I'll say. Enjoy!

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Petrified Xander")**

**Theme 38: _Beautiful_**

_**Mt. Fuego, October 20, 2006, 2:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

You know that you will never repeat this to anyone for fear of castration and impalement on sharp, pointy sticks similar to what that "Vlad the Impaler" dude did in some European nation centuries ago. You know she'd do it if given the chance and, as you watch her you swear to yourself that you will never, **ever**, say this thought out loud to anyone, not even if Koragg threatens to kill you. Her wrath is something much, much worse than Koragg's.

She's beautiful. Yes, she's currently covered in some kind of green slime and is cursing up a storm that would put a sailor to shame, but she is so bloody _beautiful _that it takes your breath away. You know that the feat is next to impossible to do.

Of course, her beauty has nothing to do with the fact that she is currently wearing your color (… okay, so you lied. Green is _so_ her color and the fact that it is your color too is merely coincidence). Her beauty radiates from her love of music and dancing to her streaks of fierce independence and stubbornness that are a mile or so long. She's intelligent, fun, an adventurer, a risk-taker… and she's looking at you.

"Xander, what are you staring at?" Her head is tilted to the side and spirits above if that isn't attractive as hell you don't know what is.

"Nothing, V. Merely wondering why you didn't let the slime stay on you. You looked good in it."

A snarl is your response followed by a kick to the shin that has you hopping around in pain. Vida's nose goes into the air as she flounces away and you wonder, yet again, how you manage to put your foot into your mouth every time you try to say something nice to Vida. But, damn it all, if she isn't beautiful steaming mad and ready to kick your ass at the next chauvinistic or idiotic comment that you say! If that isn't beauty, then you don't know what is.


	39. Theme 39: The Call

**A/N: **I am so sorry about the wait; my account didn't want to let me update any of my stories, this one foremost. Hopefully, the problem is over… *knock on wood*. Anyway, this is my take on Xander's call to duty for "Once a Ranger", and of course, some nice Xander/Vida interaction. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

"_words"_: phone calls

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place just before "Once a Ranger")**

**Theme 39: _The Call_**

_**Apartment #303, March 10, 2008, 5:30 pm – Turtle Cove, CA, USA**_

"Come on, V. I'm fine." Xander had his cell phone tucked between his head and shoulder as he drew a new picture for his Studio Arts class.

_"Xan, I've heard the news reports. The Overdrive Rangers are rumored to have lost their powers,"_ Vida chided. While Xander had decided to attend Turtle Cove University to major in Studio Arts, Vida had headed to Reefside College in order to investigate the musical program more closely... plus, it didn't hurt that her idol, Kira Ford, went there as well.

"Vida, I know that, but I seriously don't think it affects any of us." Xander's tongue protruded slightly as he tried to get his fighter positioned at the exact angle, sighing in irritation when it didn't come out right... again.

_"You don't know that! Kat, __**your cousin**__, told me that once a Ranger, always a Ranger."_ Vida was concerned at the chance of any of her teammates getting called back to duty… not that many knew it. She was honestly enjoying some peace and quiet, a nice change from having to constantly battle the hordes of Hidiacs and Underworld monsters for over a year. It felt nice to be, well, normal.

"Yeah, she told me that too but, V, seriously. What are the chances that any of us are going to be called upon to do something?" Xander, after failing for the umpteenth time decided to take a break. The drawing wasn't due until next week anyway. "How about we get together for something to eat?"

Vida didn't respond for a moment but Xander knew that she was consulting her schedule. _"Sure. How about in an hour? __Hayley's Cyberspace__?"_

"Sounds good." Xander moved around his small apartment, grabbing his keys, a small sketchbook (you never knew when inspiration would strike), a pencil, his wallet and his Mystic Morpher. Granted, he and the others were no longer Rangers, but they still had their magical powers. Udonna, when questioned had responded that magic was an inherent gift; it never faded from its chosen wielders. Xander and his teammates had been overjoyed to hear that.

_"Cool. See you then."_ Vida hung up, followed shortly by Xander. He tucked his green cell phone into a jean pocket and, leaving the apartment locked the door behind him, sprinting down the stairs to where his motorcycle was parked in the apartment complex's adjacent parking lot.

_**Hayley's Cyberspace, March 10, 2008, 6:25 pm – Reefside, CA, USA**_

"Hey there," Vida said as Xander walked into the café, the bell jingling merrily. Hayley Ziktor nodded at the former Green Mystic Ranger, having been introduced to the newest team at the most recent Ranger Reunion at Christmas. She and Udonna had been in contact since, comparing notes on how to deal with moody teenagers; the two women had become good friends in the process.

"Hey yourself, gorgeous," Xander returned, winking. Vida smirked, not saying anything to her boyfriend as he placed an order and sat down across from her. "How's life here?"

Vida shrugged. "It's not bad, but it's not great. Know what I mean?"

"Haven't a clue, love." Vida smacked him.

"You are an annoyance." Vida sighed twirling the straw in her cherry milkshake absently. "Why am I dating you again?"

"I'm handsome as hell?" Xander offered taking the kiwi-mango milkshake from Hayley with a smile.

Vida gave Xander a Look, to which he held up his hands in self-defense. Before she could say anything else though, an all too-familiar chime sounded in the café. The two former Mystic Rangers both went deathly pale and Hayley, recognizing the look subtly motioned with her head for the two to follow her. Both quickly obliged.

As the three entered a back room, Hayley spoke up. "Can I assume that those are your Morphers?" At the nods, she tilted her head. "I thought that your Ranger powers were gone."

"They are," Xander responded drawing out his Mystic Morpher. Vida did the same but when she glanced at it noticed that even though it still held her symbol, it wasn't glowing. Xander's, on the other hand, was.

"What does it mean?" Hayley asked curiosity getting the best of her.

"Haven't a clue, Hayley," Xander responded, pressing a set of numbers that were glowing, despite hissed protests from a worried Vida. All three stepped back in shock as a figure in gold appeared before them, plumes of green smoke surrounding him.

_"Xander Bly? Green Mystic Ranger?"_ a deep voice asked, the echo bouncing off the walls in the room.

"Uh, yeah. That's me," Xander replied slowly looking around for an enemy. Vida was doing the same thing, the two still quite paranoid from their year of fighting to do anything else. Hayley was observing the scene, setting it all to memory so she could tell Tommy Oliver about it, as she well knew that Tommy was always on the hunt for any new information concerning new Ranger teams... unless he forgot, in which case his fiancée, Kimberly Hart, did the intel-gathering. She was also sure that the other veteran Rangers would be interested in hearing all about this incident.

_"You are needed, Green Ranger."_ A golden-tinted being, cloaked in mist appeared before the two former Rangers and one mentor. The being seemed to think that this statement would make perfect sense, but upon sensing confusion it gave the equivalent of a sigh. _"I am the Sentinel Knight, Guardian of the Corona Aurora. The Overdrive Rangers have lost their powers and can no longer be relied upon to protect the Jewels and the Corona Aurora."_

Xander and Vida looked at each other before Vida asked, "You do know that we don't have our powers anymore, correct?"

The Sentinel Knight nodded. _"I am aware of that fact. I am able to grant you your powers once more."_ Once again, he expected excitement, but a shocked silence met his statement.

Xander swallowed heavily, clearly shocked. Vida had the same look on her face, but soon enough it morphed. "Are you saying that you can restore our Ranger powers for good?"

_"Not yours, Vida Rocca; just Xander's,"_ the Sentinel Knight replied, shaking his head. He didn't expect Vida's anger.

"Why not all of us? Aren't more Rangers better than one?" Vida was upset. She didn't want to risk her life; no, Xander's life for something as ridiculous as some crown and jewels!

_"There will be other Rangers."_

"Then why not reactivate the entire Mystic Force team? We're more powerful together than alone!" If Xander had to go back to being a Ranger then, damn it all, so should she!

_"I only have the power to restore one Ranger from each of the chosen teams."_

"That's bullshit!"

"Vida, enough." Vida looked at her boyfriend, surprise written on her face. Very quickly, though, that surprise faded.

"Xander, I can't believe that you're agreeing to do this!"

"V, listen. You told me that this could happen and I didn't believe you. Now, it is happening and you won't let me do it? Vida, I need to do this, to prove to myself that I am a good Ranger." Xander's eyes were serious.

"But you already are!" Vida protested. The two didn't notice Hayley, who was still watching the incident, placing it into her memory for later analysis. "You proved yourself over and over again!"

Xander shook his head. "Not quite, V. Not quite. I could've done more, like not getting turned to a tree." He glanced at his girlfriend and, placing his hands on either side of her face added, "I will come back to you, V. I promise."

Vida remained silent for a moment before responding, "If I let you go, you have to promise that you'll call every night, without fail. I don't want to hear that you've been killed on the news through some random act of stupidity."

Xander chuckled. "Done, V." He placed a soft kiss on her lips before turning to the Sentinel Knight and nodding. The apparition nodded and placed his hands together, concentrating. A spark of bright green energy flowed from him to Xander's Mystic Morpher, causing the screen to once more light up with magical energy and causing Xander to instantly morph. Xander turned the device over in his hands, feeling the adrenaline that came with the Ranger suit. Then, turning to Vida he gently grabbed her Morpher and, pressing a rather long sequence of numbers muttered an incantation. A portion of his energy left the Morpher, turning pink. It faded into Vida's Morpher, causing it to light up as well. As Xander demorphed, The Sentinel Knight nodded in approval. He couldn't restore all of the Rangers' Morphers, but the Mystic Force had the ability to do the deed when he couldn't. They were some of the most powerful magic users in existence, after all... plus his contact with Mystic Mother and, through her, Zordon's spirit had agreed that it was necessary… just in case.

Xander then turned to the Sentinel Knight and said, "I agree to answer the call. Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger."


	40. Theme 40: Denial

**A/N: **First off, hurrah for a quick update! Secondly, this theme is totally self-explanatory. I do believe that this is self-explanatory the more you read and ponder it. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place just after "Petrified Xander")**

**Theme 40: _Denial_**

_**Toby's Office, Rock Porium, October 23, 2006, 5:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

**Chip's POV**

"Admit it; you like him!"

Vida scoffed. "I do not, Chip. Go back to playing superhero or something."

I frowned. "That's an insult, V, considering that you're a superhero too." Vida glanced around the office, looking to see if their Jimmy Hendrix-obsessed boss was eavesdropping (he'd been known to do that occasionally… well, okay, often. A lot. Almost every day…)

"Yeah, well, at least I don't go around in a cape when not in character!" Vida smirked thinking that she had made her point clearly. I merely smiled, noting that she had scored a point against me… but I had something much better.

"So… if you don't like Xander, then what was with all the fuss about him turning into a tree and you almost hyper-panicking over it?" Vida froze, eyes going wide.

"… Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, a little bird told me." I smirked, something rarely seen on my face; Xander's more prone to do it than me. I could see Vida had worked out that my informant was Clare and, moving quickly I wrapped my arms around her, preventing her escape. "Nope, no can do. I won't let Clare get massacred because you're upset that you're in love with Xander."

"I am **not** in love with Xander Bly!" Vida protested; quite loudly, I must add. At that moment, Toby stuck his head in and, tilting it asked a question that had Vida literally thrashing in my arms to strangle him.

"What's this I hear about you liking Xander, Vida?"

I shook my head as I continued to hold back one of my best friends for fear that she'd attack and kill my boss. 'Denial's not just a river in Germany, Vida. Or was that Egypt? Anyway, I predict that this whole denial-thing'll come back to bite you in the ass someday V, and you'd better be ready to deal with the consequences, no matter what they are.'


	41. Theme 41: Match

**A/N: **Have to say, this one is one of those that took me a few tries to get right, but somehow, after rereading it, it just screamed that this was what it was supposed to be all along. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

"_words"_: other side of a phone conversation

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place three years after "Mystic Fate II; two years after "Now the Final Fury")**

**Theme 41: _Match_**

_**Loft, Jungle Karma Pizza, March 31, 2010, 5:30 am – Ocean Bluff, CA, USA**_

Lily Chilman shook her head as she listened to her friend on the other line. She and her predecessor-in-Yellow Chip Thorn had been in contact for a few months ever since the last Power Ranger Reunion at Turtle Cove on the Animarium. Meeting the actual _Wild Zords_ had been amazing to say the least, and she was positive that Jarrod had fallen on his butt in shock at Cole Evans' Red Lion Zord's greeting, followed by its snatching the reformed Noble Lion for a... "talk" in the jungle, causing Cole Evans to run after his personal Zord, concerned over the fate of the young man.

_"Are you sure, Lil?"_ Chip asked concern lacing the request. Lily could just see her ginger-haired friend lounging on a beanbag in Rock Porium, hiding the cell phone from Nikki Slambrook who, oddly enough, had a strong aversion to the small electronic devices.

"Absolutely. They are a match made in heaven if I ever saw one!" Lily exclaimed reclining on her hammock. Retrieving her yellow cheetah that the boys (Jarrod and Flit included) had collectively chipped in to buy for her birthday last month she snuggled it. Granted, it was about three feet tall, but she felt it was an excellent gift.

Chip hesitated with his next words, but when he spoke them they were enough to get the Yellow Cheetah scrambling out of her hammock to the extent that she ended up tripping over her own feet. _"Well, uh, if you think that they're such a match made in heaven, Lily, then you're in for a rude awakening. They're, uh, dating other people."_

"What?" Lily all about shrieked. "How could you let that happen?"

_"Hey! Don't blame me here! How in the hell am I supposed to tell Xander and Vida that they need to start dating each other because the newest female Ranger demands it?"_ Chip paused to regain control of his temper which, while normally mild and very hard to ignite was currently on the edge of sparking a random electrical storm outside; the clouds were already rolling into town. Toby shot his employee a knowing glance as he hurried outside to move his Jimmy Hendrix-cutout back into the store to prevent it from getting wet.

"Well, duh, you're like a mage or something! Can't you do something to get them together?" Lily asked after a moment once she'd made sure that none of her fellow employees and Rangers had heard her impromptu scream.

Chip resisted the urge to somehow invent a spell on the fly that would allow him to reach through the phone and strangle his successor. Don't get him wrong, he liked her; he really did. However, she was a _Matchmaker_, one of the most dangerous forms of female Rangers, and one whom he was sure would be killed and spit out by the combined anger of Xander and Vida.

_"Listen, Lil, I may be a mage, but some things are beyond my control. This is one of them. I am **not** going to try to play matchmaker with two of my best friends for fear that they will kill me and I'm almost one hundred percent sure that Vida'll castrate me."_ He gulped at the thought, not wanting to imagine it actually taking place. He knew that Vida was capable of such a deed, even if it was done verbally. Xander, he was sure, would not appreciate being told who to date as the last time someone had tried to do that, Xander's eyes had turned so cold and impersonal that he had felt as if he was looking at a human glacier. He shivered. No, there was no way in Infershia that he was going to interfere in his friends' relationships... even if he personally agreed with everything that Lily said.

Lily huffed in annoyance as she picked up her cheetah from where it had landed on the floor, gently placing it back onto her hammock. Honestly, why couldn't she make Chip see that bringing the two Mystic Force Rangers together wasn't going to be as difficult as he thought?

"Fine. I'm going to come down to Briarwood and do it myself!" Lily declared hotly already moving to pack a duffel bag with some clothes and necessities. "I'll be there soon!" Ignoring Chip's heated protests, she turned off the cell phone and tossed it into the duffel, blithely ignoring the now frantic rings.

As Lily marched down the stairs and out of Jungle Karma Pizza, ignoring the startled looks from her co-workers she vowed to make the two Rangers see that they were a match made in heaven... even if it meant that she had to interrupt dates and lock them into a broom closet along the way. Now, if only she could hotwire Jarrod's new black motorcycle she'd be in business...


	42. Theme 42: Reaction

**A/N:** So, this is extremely short and is, seriously, what a true drabble should be, not what my monster ones are. This is just another look at a Xida scene during the show; enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Legendary Catastros")**

**Theme 42: _Reaction_**

_**Rootcore, September 20, 2006, 3:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Nick had to hold back a smirk as his so-called "fearless" friend Xander Bly found himself in the arms of one Vida Rocca after a brief power outage and consequent loud boom of thunder and lightning. The storm outside was horrible, sure, but it was nice inside Rootcore (if someone had told him even three months previous that he'd be calling the inside of a wooden dragon cozy, he'd have called the local police and had them assigned to an asylum for lunacy) where the rain couldn't reach the team of five, Clare and Udonna.

Xander was obviously trying to regain his bravado, which had just plummeted significantly. He patted her shoulder and said, "Just making sure that you're safe, V." Nick could see right away that Vida was not impressed; Xander's charm was failing once again.

Vida's cool gray eyes narrowed at the Green Ranger (Nick was secretly impressed that she had the physical strength to hold Xander for more than a few seconds, considering that he was taller than her by quite a few inches and was physically heavier).

"Fine. Thanks for asking." Vida then took her arms out from underneath her friend and Nick tried to hold back a chuckle, he really did, but it came out as Xander lay sprawled on the ground, limbs akimbo.

"Thanks a lot, V," Xander mumbled accepting Chip's hand to pull himself back to his feet. Vida proceeded to dust her arms off, almost as if Xander's cooties had infected her (and what a juvenile thought that was).

"No problem." Vida then turned her attention to Udonna who, like Nick, had been unable to keep a chuckle back. As the White Witch descended from her podium, Nick couldn't help but think that with reactions from his teammates and new friends, life was never going to be boring again!


	43. Theme 43: Green Eyed Monster

**A/N: **Okay, this was a theme that came to me as I was re-watching the season. I'm not sure why no one's thought to do this before, but then again, that just gives me the opportunity to do it! It's pretty much one of my favorite themes in this collection. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Return")**

**Theme 43: _Green-Eyed Monster_**

_**High Rise Park, April 30, 2007, 5:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Xander knew that he was being stupid. However, this knowledge did nothing to stop the emotions bubbling up inside of him. Of course, he hadn't a clue as to what he was feeling or why, but that wasn't the issue in his eyes.

'Vida is going insane. I know she is, but why hasn't she realized it? Unless, unless that, that monster's brainwashed her!' Xander was determined to protect his friend from this villain's evil scheme.

Vida, on the other hand, was dead-set on protecting Matoombo from The Master... even if he had The Master inside of him. For spirits' sake, he was willing to take the option of eternal sleep rather than let The Master rise again; wasn't that good enough? So, why couldn't she get Xander to see that he was a good guy in the guise of someone who was evil?

"Xan, come on! Help me out here! Matoombo's not evil!" Vida protested blocking Matoombo from Xander's Mystic Staff. Granted, he'd powered down already, but the staff had mysteriously stayed put instead of reverting back to the Morpher, or wherever their weapons went when not being used. He'd lowered it once before, but Matoombo had pointed his weapon at her (by accident, she knew) and Xander had leapt to her defense... again.

"V, you heard him! He's the 'Conqueror of All Worlds'!" Xander shot back eyes never straying from the Terror, whose stance was just as aggressive.

"Xander, stand down, now! I won't tell you again!" Vida snarled stepping towards the Green Ranger who, in turn, didn't back down, which resulted in his Mystic Staff being pointed at her chest. "He's not evil, Xan. He saved a kid's life and laughed when I kicked a ball in his face by accident. If he was truly evil, I wouldn't be here anymore!"

Xander's eyes moved from Matoombo to Vida's and the Pink Ranger was shocked to see that they were glowing green. "Xander? Your eyes..."

"What?" Xander blinked and they were back to their usual chocolate-brown shade. "What about my eyes, Vida?"

"They were glowing green..." Vida moved closer so she could look at her teammate's eyes, only to remain flummoxed when they stayed their normal chocolate-brown. 'Odd, I could've sworn that they were green…'

Xander blinked again before focusing his attention on Vida. "Green? They were seriously glowing green?"

Vida nodded, only to have Matoombo interrupt. "Green eyes are the sign of inner monsters."

Xander quickly moved the Mystic Staff back towards the Terror, face etched in a frown. "V, I don't trust him."

"You _can_ trust him, Xander. I know you can." Vida tried to once again convince the Green Ranger to stand down once and for all and to trust her judgment but to no avail. Worse still, Xander's eyes had begun to glow a slight green which, frankly, worried her.

"I do not lie," Matoombo stated, voice firm with authority. "Those who feel that they are being threatened let an inner monster develop, from which his or her eyes can change color." He turned to Xander who, though he tried to appear bored was deeply interested in what he was learning and continued, "The color change signifies many things, among them the concept of a monster."

"Green-eyed monster…" Vida mused eyes narrowed in thought. 'I know that I've heard that phrase used before, but where?'

'Oh no… she can't mean _that_ phrase!' Xander thought furiously, panic beginning to set in. Thinking quickly, he changed his Staff back to its Morpher form and, darting forward shook Matoombo's hand fiercely before dragging Vida away to talk to her.

"I trust him, V. I do. Guess I just needed some convincing." Xander acted sheepish, praying to every spirit he'd ever read about since the start of his tenure as a Ranger and mage, hoping that they'd help Vida buy his explanation. Luckily for him, she nodded curtly and proceeded to talk to Matoombo about what he wanted to do to prevent the rise of The Master. Xander, meanwhile, prayed long and hard that Vida would never figure out that the Terror had insinuated (and, as a revelation would admit later on, have reason) that Xander was plain out _jealous_ of him for getting Vida's attention so swiftly. Nope, Xander would never in a million years let Vida in on that little secret... ever.


	44. Theme 44: Secrets

**A/N: **Character development with Lienbow and Udonna, plus a round-about look at my favorite Mystic Force couples, with Xander/Vida being prominent. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place three years after "Once a Ranger")**

**Theme 44: _Secrets_**

_**Rainbow Lookout, August 30, 2011, 5:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Everyone has secrets; that's a fact of life. Udonna knew this well as she and Lienbow took a leisurely stroll on the top of a cliff face just outside of the Mystic Forest. The Rocca twins had clued her into its location after Octomus had been defeated (no one was calling him The Master anymore, especially the Mystic Force Rangers), and she and Lienbow had found it an excellent spot to get away from the reconstruction of Briarwood and the Forest in order to satisfy both humans and magical creatures (there were protests that the two older warriors were doing too much, hence the demand to relax).

"What's the latest gossip now, love?" Lienbow asked amusement lacing his voice. The years since his return had been good to him. He looked much happier and relaxed, traits that Udonna hadn't seen in him since Bowen's birth all those years before the nightmare had begun.

Udonna smiled, loving that even after all of those years, Lienbow could read her like an open book. "Oh, a few secrets, you know the usual."

Lienbow smirked drawing his red-haired wife closer. "Would you indulge to share them with me? I am just as big a gossiper as you are, love." Lienbow was not lying. His good friends, those who had been the precursors to the current Mystic Warriors had often accused him of never being able to hold a secret, which had been true, particularly when he'd spread the word that his apprentice Daggeron had feelings for Udonna's sister, the widow Niella. Yep, Lienbow was just as big a gossip hound as his wife, though he was more discreet about it.

Udonna pondered his request for a moment before replying, "I suppose." She glanced at him. "Are you prepared?"

Lienbow returned the smile, letting that be his answer.

"Very well. There are three secrets that I have to share today." Udonna paused letting the anticipation build; Lienbow, knowing this tactic well merely waited patiently. "The first one concerns Clare. She has decided to actively pursue Chip with help from Leelee, Madison and Vida."

"Hasn't she had a crush on Chip for a few years now?" Lienbow questioned leaning down to pick up a rather shiny stone. He offered it to Udonna, who accepted it with a smile.

"Yes, she has. She's figured that since Chip hasn't done anything to discourage or encourage her, she's going to make her move and hope for the best." Udonna paused. "I am actually quite surprised that Clare is taking the initiative; perhaps she has learned from Madison and Vida."

Lienbow didn't comment, knowing that nothing he said would change the situation. He approved of his niece and the Yellow Ranger together; they were a good balance. "What is the second secret?"

Udonna smiled. "Nick has decided to surprise Madison with a trip to a film festival in Cannes, France." Lienbow looked a tad confused, still not knowledgeable about technological innovations over his near-eighteen year absence. He was better than he had been, but there was still much to learn.

"Nick knows that Madison will be ecstatic to go," Udonna continued a smile reaching across her face at the thought of her daughter-in-law. "From what I have learned, he's been planning it for a few months." She glanced at her husband, who suddenly looked far too innocent. "Lienbow... you've been helping him, I gather?"

Lienbow's face gained the look of a child found snatching cookies from the cookie jar. "Well, maybe; a little." Udonna sighed; her husband and son shared the same trait of wanting to help wherever needed... even if that meant keeping secrets from their spouses.

"I see." Udonna walked a bit faster, intending to teach her husband a lesson about keeping secrets. By the sound of rushing feet behind her, she was successful. "No more secrets, correct?"

"Very well," Lienbow agreed outwardly, while internally he was already hatching another plan to help his son with yet another project he had going, one about helping to build a new potions lab in Rootcore for Udonna's birthday, which was in a few weeks. Surely _that_ wouldn't get him into trouble with his wife.

"What is the third secret?"

Udonna smiled this time, stopping at the edge of the cliff. She motioned for Lienbow to be quiet and to look over the edge. The Red Wolf Warrior did so and grinned. Motioning that he understood, he and Udonna withdrew from the edge and continued their walk along the top of the cliff. Down below, the third secret was being blown wide open: one Xander Bly had been skulking around lately, looking for something special for his girl, Vida Rocca, and after some consultation with Tori Bradley, Kira Ford, Clare, Madison and Udonna had found it. One piece of homemade jewelry, carved out of silver and diamonds, runes standing for wind and wood carved around the band, Vida's name on the inside. To top it off, a small white diamond with two pink pearls lay on top, delicately placed. Xander had asked Vida the one question that, if queried as to whether or not he'd use it a few years previous would have scoffed and replied in the negative. Now, however, he was asking the question, putting his heart and soul on the line... and luckily for him, she said yes, with the stipulation that he never keep secrets from her again.


	45. Theme 45: Distraction

**A/N: **Okay, I am so, so sorry about not updating sooner. Summer job and preliminary work for my thesis got in the way. I hope that you can all forgive me. Hopefully, this chapter will do the job. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place five years after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 45: _Distraction_**

_**Animarium, July 4, 2012, 12:30 pm – Turtle Cove, CA, USA**_

"Pay attention, Xander!" came the call and the Green Mystic Force Ranger's head snapped back in time to leap up and spike the volleyball over the net to score a point for his team.

"Lucky shot," TJ Johnson remarked, retrieving the ball from where it had landed. It had been decided at the outset of the week-long Ranger Reunion/Fourth of July celebration to set up a sports league, pitting either entire teams or teams of same-colored Rangers against each other, March Madness-style. The females had insisted that they get their own teams, and so, colors had been decided upon... and, as female Rangers were wont to do, they were winning the entire thing hands-down. For those Rangers who had held two different colors, they had been told to choose one; TJ had chosen Red.

"Luck has nothing to do with it!" Joel Rawlings proclaimed, slinging an arm around Xander's shoulders. "Xander here's an excellent player!"

"Unlike you, I suppose?" Carter questioned from his position next to TJ, a smirk belaying the insult. Joel glared in reply.

"What's the score, RJ?" TJ called over to the Violet Wolf Ranger, who was currently chatting with Hayley Ziktor. It had also been decided that there was to be a "Special" Ranger team, for those Rangers who were either the Sixth Rangers of their team or, in RJ's case, had a Ranger color that was unique and stood out above all others. After all, before RJ, there hadn't been a Violet Ranger before... although the Pink Rangers had jokingly stated that Violet was close enough to Pink that they'd take him in.

Without looking up from his conversation, RJ replied, "Five to three, Green."

Joel grinned. "See? I told ya that we were going to win!" He proceeded to high-five Damon Henderson, the Green Galaxy Ranger nodding in agreement. Leo Corbett, from the other side of the net, shook his head.

"It was a bad twist of fate that landed those two on the same team, huh?" Leo commented to Carter, who shook his head in the affirmative.

"Your serve, guys!" Wes called launching the ball back over the net. Trip Regis caught it and, as the teams rotated noted that Xander was in the perfect position to earn yet another point if the ball came his way. The Xybrian nodded and, launching the ball into the air hit it over the net. Wes sent it flying back, followed by Damon and Joel setting up a double play that sent the ball towards the back of the volleyball court. Carter moved backwards quickly, enough so that he just managed to hit it towards the net where Leo tipped it over, only to be surprised when Cam Watanabe (who'd astonished his teammates by volunteering to play volleyball) dove and hit the ball above his head, where Xander once more sent it over the net. This time, though, Eric Meyers got his hands on it (figuratively, of course) and sent it careening back over the net. All the Greens attempted to hit it, but the ball hit the ground with a resounding "twap", giving the Red Rangers reason to cheer.

"Excellent!" Wes and Eric exchanged high fives as the Green team retrieved the ball and sent it back over the net. Cole Evans got into position to serve, eyes narrowing.

Xander grinned. There was nothing more exciting than playing a good, rousing game of volleyball with his fellow Green Rangers... except maybe his wife slinking by in a new, hot-pink and black bikini, a sari wrapped around her waist. Xander's eyes were riveted to the sight, watching as she accepted a drink of some kind from Trent, who'd volunteered to take over at the makeshift bar, allowing Merrick some time to teach Lienbow and Daggeron how to play pool. His eyes continued to follow her as she walked back to her seat at the edge of the vast lake on the Animarium where Max Cooper's Shark Zord was sunbathing.

In fact, Xander was so distracted by his wife that he didn't hear the warning from his teammates and ended up getting whacked in the head by the volleyball... hard.

"Ouch! Man, that has got to hurt!" Joel exclaimed running over to his successor, relieved to hear him groaning. The rest of the Rangers had halted the game to see if the Mystic Ranger was okay.

"What in the hell hit me?" Xander asked a few moments later, accent thick. Kat, who'd run over upon seeing her cousin hit the ground shook her head.

"The ball, Xander. The ball hit you," Kat responded dryly, glancing around the gathered Rangers. "This has happened before; he'll be fine."

"Hopefully, 'cause we need all the Green help we can get," Joel muttered only to dodge a swipe from Tommy Oliver, who was glaring. Tommy had been banned from the game because he held four different Ranger colors, making the match-up unfair... particularly if two of his Ranger colors were playing at the same time. Tommy, of course, had sulked for a good couple of hours before being told that he could referee the women's matches... before his wife Kim had told him that in no terms was he going to be allowed to do that because he'd unfairly give her points.

"Come on, Xander. Up you go." Cam and Damon helped the Australian to his feet, leading him to a seat a few feet away for him to rest. At that moment, Vida came sprinting up, having seen the scene from her seat along the lake.

"Xander, you okay?" She fingered the bruise that was already starting to form, eyes worried. The male Rangers who were involved in the game quickly returned to it, wanting to finish before their wives and significant others ended the tournament for the day.

Xander's eyes fluttered open and he mumbled, "V, you're such a good distraction, you know that?" His eyes then closed again and soon he was sleeping, leaving a flustered Vida behind.

"What'd he say?" Kat asked having moved to make sure her cousin wasn't going to die on her. Wouldn't that be amusing to tell her aunt and uncle, that their only son was done in by a rogue volleyball?

Vida didn't answer, focused on dabbing ice on Xander's bruise. After a moment, she shot a grin over at Kat and responded, "I guess we _femme fatales_ have a nasty effect on our husbands, huh?" Kat, catching on to the joke grinned and nodded in return. Upon Xander's awakening, he'd be harangued to death by his fellow Greens for putting the idea into the females' heads to act as distractions to end the volleyball tournament early... in which they succeeded


	46. Theme 46: Smile

**A/N: **Graduate school is a pain in the ass, and is making writing and updating very difficult. Thesis is not helping either… Anyway. Short, sweet and to the point, and interestingly philosophic… Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place a few weeks after "Mystic Fate II")**

**Theme 46:_ Smile_**

**_Rock Porium, June 1, 2007, 5:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA_**

Even though Xander knew that his being jealous of Matoombo was irrational and unfounded, he also knew that he had one thing that the ex-Terror would never have: Vida's smile.

Granted, Vida had never really and truly smiled at anyone besides Maddie and, at times, one of Chip's antics. That had all changed when she'd become a Ranger. She'd matured and begun to realize that life was never permanent; it could be stamped out in an instant. Therefore, it was better to take life by the horns, so to speak, rather than stay on the sidelines (and since when did Xander himself become so philosophic and sagacious? Must have been somewhere between almost loosing Vida to Oculous and that feline Terror's decision to send him to help Vida).

When Vida smiled, her entire face lit up, her eyes sparkling and the atmosphere lightening up significantly. When she smiled at Matoombo, Xander, too well-versed in her body language to miss it (and boy, wouldn't Vida love to know how he got to be an expert at reading her body language) noted that it was the smile of a friend, one that she commonly gave to Chip, Nick, Toby, Leelee, and scores of other people. For Maddie and her dad, the smile was one of genuine love and concern, protection evident in her eyes, the desire to protect those important to her.

Of course, the smile that she gave him was so different that it was no wonder Matoombo would never get it; that was why he had no need to be jealous of the reformed Terror. When Vida turned her smile on him, Xander felt like the whole world was his oyster shell; he could do anything and not fail. Her love for him (at least, that's what he hoped the emotions shining in her eyes were), the friendship and protection that she knew he offered her, the foundation upon which she had built a deep dependency, it was all there in that one smile. But, that was just one smile for him. The other one was only for him, and as she had told him would forever only be for him. It was one full of promise for the future, fears that she wouldn't be good enough for him (he allayed those fears as best he could), affection shining in its depths... and spirits, wasn't he getting all poetic?

Xander grinned as Vida called him back to the DJ stand to have him listen to a piece of new music, wanting his opinion before she played it for the entire store. Matoombo had been shooed away by Vida to make room for Xander (reality: Phineas had called him over for his opinion on something), and as the new manager of Rock Porium made his way back to his girlfriend's music station, he could only revel in the fact that Vida saved her best smiles for him.


	47. Theme 47: Patience

**A/N: **Graduate school is a pain in the ass, and is making writing and updating very difficult. Thesis is not helping either… Anyway. This connects to theme 39, so reading that first would help. A look at the reactions of those left behind during "Once a Ranger." Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Once a Ranger;" connects to theme 39)**

**Theme 47: _Patience_**

_**Rootcore, March 25, 2008, 5:30 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Vida Rocca was not normally a patient kind of person; far from it. When faced with a situation that required patience of any form, she usually had Maddie take care of it. Her tranquil sister was perfect for those kinds of situations, capable of keeping her temper even in the most difficult of situations (well, discounting the whole incident where she laid into Nick for thinking of giving up during the final battle) whereas Vida was the go-to girl for getting in and out of a situation or fight quickly, damn the consequences.

Now, however, she was prepared to wait. She turned her Mystic Morpher over in her hands, reveling in the power that she felt flowing from it. After memorizing the spell code and chant that her boyfriend had used to restore her connection to the Morphin' Grid (probably in an effort to make sure that she didn't feel left out while he acted the part of knight in shining armor) she'd watched as said boyfriend was transported in a stream of golden sparkles out of Hayley's Cyberspace thanks to the Sentinel Knight. She and Hayley had then quickly shut down the Cyberspace and set off for Dr. Tommy Oliver's house to let him know what was going on and, in the process, see if the spell would work on other Rangers' powers.

Amazingly enough, the spell worked, but only in small spurts of time; the amount of energy required was massive. Vida had first restored Dr. Oliver's Dino powers, and after a demonstration that showcased his Morphing sequence that had her scoffing at its dullness when compared to her own, the other Dino Thunder Rangers had been called to the Lair (who had a cave for a Lair, anyhow? It was just plain tacky) and after some short explanations the other three had agreed to have their powers restored. During the process, Vida had learned (and the other Rangers had been informed) that their Yellow Ranger, Kira, had also been called by the Sentinel Knight. The day had ended with her crashing on Dr. Oliver's couch, too exhausted to really do anything else. The other Dino Thunder Rangers had opted to stay as well, despite Dr. Oliver's grumbling and before Vida had let exhaustion take over, she'd gotten to know the three males a bit more, learning in the process that Kira had been the only female on their team of five. She had courage, that one. Hayley had volunteered to call her teammates in Briarwood and let them know what was going on.

The next day, Vida had taken all of the exams needed before the commencement of her Spring Break before driving back to Briarwood to update her team in person. In the process, she'd restored Nick's powers, who had then helped her finish the job with the rest of their team. Of course, Daggeron, Udonna and Lienbow's powers had also been restored and, after getting permission from Lienbow and Udonna to invite the Dino Thunder Rangers to Rootcore for a situation update she'd called Dr. Oliver, but in the process had learned that almost all of the former Ranger teams were all heading towards Rootcore. Udonna had done some quick finagling with Lienbow to allow complete strangers into Rootcore, but she'd succeeded, of course. Apparently, Lienbow couldn't resist Udonna's requests, in part because he'd done something to land him in the metaphorical doghouse. He was still trying to get himself back into her good graces. A set of construction spells had been used to expand Rootcore to deal with the influx of dozens of people, with Lienbow's reluctant acquiescence and a promise that Udonna and Daggeron would restore the Mystic Force's headquarters to its normal state once the crisis was over.

Soon enough, the entirety of the Ranger teams available had gathered in Briarwood (those who couldn't make the sudden gathering were tuning into the meeting through a private satellite channel that Billy Cranston and Trini Scott had set up with Kendrix Corbett and Cam Watanabe's help) to discuss the Sentinel Knight and the Overdrive Rangers' termination to the Morphin' Grid. It was also discovered that besides Xander and Kira, Adam Park and Tori Bradley had been called to San Angeles as well, leaving behind their significant others who, like Vida, were mildly upset, to say the least, that they couldn't go as well.

Vida revealed the spell code that Xander had used to restore her powers, and which she had later used to restore her teammates' powers, causing a stir of excitement amongst all those Rangers who had lost their powers during their final battles with their big evils. Dr. Oliver and the three younger Dino Thunder Rangers had all morphed to show that the spell code actually worked, which caused even more excitement; there had been a mad rush from most of the Rangers to petition the Mystic Force to restore their powers, just in case more evil showed up in the future. Billy had cautioned that he thought it only worked if their powers had been returned to the Morphin' Grid, not forcibly taken as the Overdrive Rangers' were. Despite this, the Mystic Rangers had agreed to restore various powers, and beams of multi-colored light were soon seen as the Mighty Morphin', Turbo, Wild Force and Ninja Storm Rangers regained their powers. The Ninjetti Rangers had merely needed a boost in power to recall their animal spirits, and the Zeo, Space, Lost Galaxy, Lightspeed and Time Force Rangers still had their powers, making Billy's warning defunct in their case.

Talk then turned to possible reasons for the calling of the four Rangers mentioned specifically, with said Rangers' significant others watching the back-and-forth banter avidly. Finally, Matoombo had stepped forward (spooking many former Rangers in the process, who were not used to seeing reformed monsters... well, not many) and announced that he had once known the Sentinel Knight, and said that the Rangers were chosen for inherent traits that matched those of former protectors of the Corona Aurora. Vida had been amazed that her friend knew this much of the Earth's history and wondered just how he remembered it all. Finally, after hours of arguments and grumblings over what was going to happen, a decision had been reached that all of the teams would return to their normal lives but be prepared to drop everything if needed to go help their fellow Rangers if the need arose. Vida sincerely hoped that the latter wouldn't happen.

This brought her to her current situation, where she magically transported herself back and forth from Rootcore to her dorm room at Reefside University (thank the spirits that she had a room all to herself, or there would be some awkward explanations in store) while awaiting to hear news of Xander's return; her father would kill her if he found out that she was slacking on her classes because her boyfriend was out of contact for a while. True to his word, he'd been calling her every night, but lately, the phone calls had died down to a mere trickle, alarming her greatly. Tanya Park had reassured her that the four Rangers were fine; Adam called every night so that he could wish his son Willis good night.

Vida sighed as she leaned her head back against the black leather sofa that Nick had brought into Rootcore upon his return from visiting his adoptive parents with Lienbow and Udonna. "Spirits, Xander, come back soon. I can't believe that I'm really saying this, but it's killing me that you're not here with me." She then glanced to her left where the Xenotome sat, its pages beckoning her.

"I could always cast a spell to hasten his return," Vida whispered eyes already imagining the relevant spell on the ancient parchment. Then she shook her head. "No. That's not what I need to do." She shuddered as she muttered the next words. "I'll be patient, and when he gets back I'll shock him." She smirked as she knew that Trent, Blake and Tanya felt the same. "That's what I'll do. I'll be patient and wait for him to come home… and he'd better or I'll kick his ass."


	48. Theme 48: Lost

**A/N: **So, I decided to take a totally different look at the Cimmerian Forest escapade from the episode "Fire Heart," and I have to say, I had a blast. Hope you enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Fire Heart")**

**Theme 48: _Lost_**

_**Cimmerian Forest, October 28, 2006, 6:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"We're lost, aren't we?"

"No!" A pause. "We are so not lost."

"Yes, we are," Madison responded pointing out the obvious to the other Rangers, all of them covered in the remnants of swamp sand. "You have no clue where we're going, am I correct?"

"I do so know how to get through this forest," Xander shot back, pausing in his trek, a hand on a nearby elm tree. Chocolate eyes glittered. "Xander the Great does not get lost."

Vida crossed her arms. "Give it up, Xander. We are lost, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Xander jumped from his position to land in front of the Pink Ranger and the two began one of their typical glaring contests. This lasted for a few minutes until Phineas suddenly burst onto the scene.

"Hey! Glad to see that you're still alive, though I wouldn't go that way." The Troblin looked at the five teens before continuing, "Oh, I get it why you'd think turning that way was a good idea. You're lost!"

Vida smirked and looked at Xander triumphantly; the Green Ranger, on the other hand, was getting frustrated.

"Phineas, we are not lost!"

Phineas regarded the Ranger before shrugging. "Whatever." Then, he got an idea. "I'll tell you what. Since you asked so nicely, I'll lead you out of the forest." He grinned to emphasize how nice the offer was. Most of the Rangers nodded in agreement, but Xander stubbornly remained in place. "I know this forest like the back of my hand…"

"I can and will lead us out of this stupid forest!" Xander declared hotly glaring at the Troblin, who looked up from his hand and merely stared back serenely. Vida, sensing an opportunity smirked.

"Alright then. I dare you to lead some of us out of the forest before Phineas does," Vida challenged, receiving a matching smirk from Xander.

"Done. Chip, you with me?" The Yellow Ranger started then, glancing at Vida who inclined her head sighed and answered in the affirmative. Madison decided that she'd go along as well, to keep the two boys out of trouble, of course.

"See you at the end of the forest, V," Xander said leading "Team Xander" to the left. Phineas, Nick and Vida headed right, and when questioned later on the how well his internal compass worked, Xander replied with "no comment."


	49. Theme 49: Truth

**A/N: **First off, real life is a pain in the ass. I am so sorry that I haven't updated in, like, forever. Graduate school and real life have kicked my ass quite nicely. Secondly, this theme was fun to write as one of my sub-goals was to get into the minds of almost every main character in one way or another; Nick's turn is here. This, like Theme 22, is one of those missing scenes that we as authors are privy to know. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Hard Heads")**

**Theme 49:_Truth_**

_**Rock Porium, March 2, 2007, 4:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Nick's POV

"We have to rescue them!" Vida declared marching up and down the stockroom at Rock Porium. I rolled my eyes, knowing that saying anything at this moment in time was likely to get me castrated or something even worse. Still, knowing that Madison would want me to try to calm her sister down, I braced myself for "Hurricane Vida".

"We will rescue them, Vida," I said only to feel like daggers were being sent into every part of my body.

"This is your fault!" she snarled getting into my face. My temper exploded.

"It is not just my fault, but yours as well!" I glared at her, eyes snapping. "If we hadn't been arguing over something stupid, we wouldn't have been caught in Hekatoid's slime, thereby losing the ability to Morph and then losing the rest of our teammates to Serpentina!"

Vida's eyes hardened before she dropped her gaze and walked over to a chair, plopping herself in it, arms crossed. I blinked; that had gone a lot smoother than I anticipated.

"You're right," she admitted softly after a minute or two. "The blame does, in part, lay with me." She looked at me sideways. "I'm sorry."

"V, the only thing we can do right now is figure out how to work together to get them back," I responded moving so that I was sitting in a chair opposite my teammate. "That's what we need to do, what they've been trying to teach us for months now."

She took a deep breath. "I know that. I just hope that we're not too late."

I shook my head; where in the hell had this reticent, subdued and guilt-ridden Vida come from? "V, what is wrong with you?"

Vida didn't respond for a moment, but when she did it was nothing like I expected. "I'm worried, Nick. I'm worried that Maddie's going to be mentally scarred, that Chip won't be Chip anymore, that Daggeron and Jenji won't make it back and, and that Xander, that he'll," She began to choke up, alarming me.

"Wait, wait. You're saying that they're being tortured in there?" Fear rose in my chest for my friends, for Maddie, the person who had convinced me to stay in Briarwood in the first place, who was always there for me if I needed someone to vent to, who was compassionate, kind, caring...

Vida violently shook her head. "Not that I know of, but the winds are telling me that we need to hurry and save them before it's too late." A faint trail of tears made its way down her face. "Xander's in the most danger because he went first, trying to save the rest of us." She looked at me and I know that the anguished look she gave me will remain forever scarred in my head forever. "What if he doesn't make it?"

"He will, Vida!" I shook her shoulders to try and bring her to see reason. "Don't you get it? We're the Power Rangers, the good guys, and evil never wins against us!" Her eyes remained clouded, not believing me. I growled and, hoping that Xander would forgive me for shouting out his secret I continued, "Vida, he loves you! He _will _come back to you because he wants to tell you himself; don't you get it?"

Vida's eyes suddenly cleared and she freed herself from me, looking at me oddly. "He, he loves me? Xander, the skirt-chaser, playboy Aussie loves _me_?"

I nodded, praying that one of my best friends would forgive me for telling the girl of his dreams his secret. "It's the truth, V. Trust me." She looked at me for a second, expression unreadable before nodding. I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we could get back to figuring out how to rescue our friends... and I could figure out a way to ensure that Xander didn't massacre me for letting the cat out of the bag.


	50. Theme 50: Test

**A/N: **Sorry for the ridiculously long wait for an update; real life once again took over. On another note, this was a chapter that came out of nowhere but I think that it is one of my best works. Just to clarify: this scene is something totally thought up, but in its creation still connects to the episode "Heir Apparent I". The content is something a little out of my comfort zone, but I think it turned out well. I've tweaked a few minor items to fit the theme a bit better, but the overall idea of this and the Rangers' time in the Underworld/Infershia has stayed the same… I think. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Heir Apparent I")**

**Theme 50: _Test_**

_**Chamber of Rituals, Infershia/Underworld, December 31, 2006, 11:30 pm – Mystical Realm**_

The trapped teens looked at each other helplessly. They'd struggled to escape without fail, but no matter what they did, it was never enough. Imperious had trapped them well and good, and Chip had even remarked sadly that Superman couldn't save them.

Whereas Nick and Chip were muttering between themselves, trying to come up with a last minute plan (Imperious had left them alone for some time now, probably to further demoralize them), Madison was observing her twin and Xander. It seemed like he was trying to talk to her, but she was ignoring everything that came out of his mouth. She did happen to catch a few words, such as, "date", "blond", "bimbo", and some rather harsh expletives from her sister aimed at the Minotaur. Xander looked determined, though as to whether that determination was focused into finding a way of escape or in trying to get Vida to listen to him was not seen; nevertheless, he seemed determined to do _something_.

"Vida, listen to me, please," Xander's words sounded sincere, but Madison knew that he could easily fake sincerity if needed; in fact, each of the them had had to do that since becoming Power Rangers and mages-in-training.

"Why should I, Xander? I gave you a task, a test, and you failed. You let me down." Madison could have sworn that she heard anger and sadness mixed together in her twin's voice and a part of her was ready to rip the Green Ranger to pieces for causing her sister pain... then there was the other part, who was curious as to what the two were talking about.

"So I failed, Vida. I'm sorry about it, but if you'd just seen her –"

"That's it right there! I don't want to hear how you're sorry that some blond _bimbo _garners more attention than me." Vida's hisses were just loud enough that Madison could hear the words contained, but Nick and Chip could not.

"Vida, listen to me. I'm sorry, but hear me out before you pass judgment." He paused and then added softly, "Please."

A sigh then a muttered okay; Madison strained to hear what her two friends were now whispering, curiosity taking over every other thought process, including that of trying to figure out a way to escape the hellhole in which they were trapped.

However, she didn't hear anything as footsteps soon reverberated around the chamber. Xander and Vida's whispered conversation instantly halted, though Madison could see that the tension around them had evaporated; Nick and Chip were watching the door, dreading who was going to enter. True to their fears, Imperious practically floated into the room, the armor-clad Koragg behind him. Necrolai slunk inside just as the stone door was slammed shut.

"Precious Rangers, how nice of you to join us," Imperious declared walking in front of the five Rangers, each of whom struggled to get their hands free enough to strangle the mummy. "No, no, that won't do. I will not move close enough to put my life at risk. Who do you think me to be, Morticon?" He laughed at his own joke, amused.

As he continued his stroll near the Rangers, he stopped near the Rocca twins. A smirk wove its way onto his face and he reached out a hand to touch Vida's cheek; there was nothing she could do to stop him. Xander, incensed, struggled against his bonds and, miracles of miracles, managed to get one hand loose enough to reach for his Morpher. Unfortunately, Necrolai saw this and with a snap of her fingers a Hidiac had its weapon pushed against the Minotaur's neck.

"Green Ranger, how did I know that you would react the strongest, hmm?" Imperious moved closer to Vida, taunting his foe, whose eyes were attempting to literally burn the mummy. Said mummy was currently dragging his nailed fingers up and down Vida's face, stopping at the edge of her neckline. A black tongue came out and licked his cracked lips. Xander struggled harder, in the process receiving a shallow gash on his neck from the Hidiac's weapon. He didn't care.

Madison watched, alarmed, as Imperious practically eye-raped her sister, who was by now shivering out of a combination of fear and anger. She tried to free herself as well but Imperious' fan was soon pointed at her neck, causing her to freeze.

"Mermaid, do not force me to act," Imperious warned eyes glaring at her. "I much prefer to have my victims alive to... _enjoy_ the rewards that they are granted as my prisoners." He muttered a short incantation and soon the fan was floating in place, leaving his other hand free to touch Vida's hair, smirking at the shock of bright red hair that met his snarled, cracked, gray fingers.

Xander was, by now, all but snarling at Imperious, muttering curses. Nick and Chip weren't far behind, neither wanting to stand by as their teammate was taken advantage of, but like Xander, Hidiacs were guarding them to ensure that they didn't escape.

Finally, Imperious' hands drew back after he stroked the Sprite's face once more. He retrieved his fan with a wave of his hand and moved to stand beside a rather large reflection pool, kneeling. He began chanting something in a language that Madison could translate a few words of, and what she understood was bad. Very bad.

Xander's eyes had now turned to Vida, who wasn't even trying to escape (though the Hidiacs were all now focused on the irate male Rangers), her eyes glassy. Madison could tell that his heart was breaking at the look in her eyes. She could tell that he just wanted to go over to her and reassure her that she was fine, that he would protect her no matter what. But, unfortunately, he was unable to at that time and place.

As Madison's attention turned back towards Imperious, she didn't see Xander's finger twitch; if she had, she might have recognized the miniscule mind-connection spell that Clare had taught the Rangers for fun one day a few weeks previous on one of their rare days off from studying offensive and defensive spells. Chip had dragged them into it, and the others had agreed as they'd been in a mood to do something fun with their magic. If she had, she might have joined the conversation and heard Xander's promise to Vida, which went something like this: _"V, I promise that I won't fail you again. This test I failed; I wasn't able to protect you from the mummified bastard. Next time, though, I will. That's a promise that I intend to keep, no matter what."_


	51. Theme 51: Chance

**A/N: **Hi all! How are your summers going? Mine is ok; trying to make room to write is a still difficult task but I'm doing the best I can. This is kind of a 'missing scene' of sorts mixed with canon. I watched this scene a number of times to try to get a feel for the situation; I think it worked well. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Koragg's Trial")**

**Theme 51: _Chance_**

_**Bly Residence, March 7, 2007, 1:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Xander, get back here!" The rather annoyed voice of one Mrs. Katrina Bly rang through the hallways of the Bly residence as the Green Ranger pulled on his sneakers. "You're sick and have a fever; you should be in bed!"

"Sorry, Mum, but I'm needed," Xander shot back tying the last lace. Grabbing his wallet and car keys he ran out the door, leaping off the porch and bypassing the steps entirely. Landing on the ground, he could hear the cries of pain from his teammates, the sound waves moving through the Earth and into his body.

'I'm coming!' Xander thought sneakers beating a steady path into the dirt while blithely ignoring his mother's demands that he get his ass back to bed. 'If there's any chance of them surviving, I'm needed now!'

As the Green Ranger ran towards his car, he ducked down beside it then jumped behind a tree. Glancing around its branches, he breathed a sigh of relief that the search party hadn't been sent out yet and, closing his eyes petitioned the Earth to tell him where his friends were battling Koragg. Upon receiving the coordinates of not only the battle but the nearest tree to said battle, he focused his magical energy and noiselessly slipped into the tree.

_**Briarwood Oceanic Bluff, March 7, 2007, 1:40 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Come on guys, get up!" Nick yelled trying to encourage his teammates to get to their feet and continue fighting. Then again, it was kind of hard to do that when he'd been seriously injured just as much as they.

"It hurts," Madison breathed hand moving to clutch her side. Nick's eyes swiveled towards her, heart constricting painfully for an unknown reason.

"We can do this!" Chip declared only to fall to his knees, hands hitting the ground. Vida managed to stagger to her feet but Koragg, seeing this moved in front of her and moved to slash her. The Sprite managed to duck at the last moment, but her arm was caught in the crossfire, the material tearing and blood drops appearing on the ground. Nick, incensed, got to his feet and, grabbing his Mystic Sword charged the Wolf Knight, from where they commenced a sword fight.

"Not so fast, Red Ranger." Koragg's sword moved more quickly than the eye could see and Nick was soon on the ground once more, his sword too far away to reach. His teammates could only watch harmlessly as the Knight's sword fell towards his neck, but a set of thick vines that wrapped around Koragg's sword brought him up cold.

"Am I late?" an Australian voice demanded and Nick knew that he was nevermore grateful to have as dependable a friend as Xander right now. He'd just saved his head; literally!

"Just in time," Nick declared as the other three Morphed Rangers ran over. As he was helped to his feet, he saw Xander's hand come to rest on Vida's shoulder briefly before she too Morphed into Legendary Warrior mode. The Green Ranger watched from the sidelines, instinctively knowing that his friends had to regain some kind of pride in being beaten so soundly by Koragg while Morphed. Soon enough, though, he Morphed as well, completing the quintet of Mystic Warriors. The battle continued, moving into Megazord Mode and ending unexpectedly with Koragg's retreat.

As the Rangers de-Morphed, Nick saw out of the corner of his eye Vida taking Xander's temperature, checking to see if he was healthy enough to stay with them or if she had to take him home, although Nick knew that the latter option was not something his friend wanted. He'd met Mrs. Bly, and she was one scary-as-hell woman. He nudged Madison with his elbow and as she turned grinned. Vida had just placed a small kiss on the Australian's cheek, causing a flash of red to appear. Chip, having caught the gesture as well grinned, bouncing on the heels of his feet. Vida'd finally taken the chance to do _something_ to let Xander know that she felt something for him, and it looked like she'd succeeded. He knew that if Xander hadn't taken the chance to come to the battle while sick, then Vida might never have acted on her feelings for him. That would have been a magnificent chance missed. Wait 'till he told Clare!


	52. Theme 52: Dream

**A/N: **Wow… update in two weeks. Record for me, yeah? So, anyway, despite not getting any reviews (and I understand, I'm not the most reliable updater), I figured I'd go ahead and toss this online. Hope you enjoy it!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place just after "Mystic Fate II") **

**Theme 52: _Dream_**

_**Bly Residence, May, 2015, 1:30 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

"Vida, you here?" Xander Bly tossed his keys into a small hand-woven basket in the foyer, quickly followed by his wallet and cell phone. A corduroy jacket was soon hung as well, his Mystical Symbol stitched in dark green glinting in the afternoon sun.

"Kitchen," came the reply and as the twenty-six year old moved past a mound of magazines he reflected on his life thus far, absently creating a Tiger Lily as he did so. After finishing off Octomus all those years ago, he'd gone on to get his degree in Studio Arts and Vida hers in Musical Creation and Therapy; currently, she was working on an album with Kira Ford-Mercer and Tanya Park, both of whom were heroines and well-known in the musical business. In fact, the entirety of the Mystic Force team had moved on with their lives, with close contact still kept amongst them. Nick and Madison had married just after Xander and Vida, the latter two having gotten hitched in Las Vegas of all places on a dare, then deciding that they liked being married and refused to get an annulment, much to Vida's father's disapproval. Nick was currently working on his advanced mechanics degree and Maddie on her filmmaking talents. She actually had a video in production at the moment and, amazingly enough, the plot had been fought over by a few movie studios.

Chip was on the verge of knighthood (Daggeron had commented that he was fulfilling the requirements much more quickly than he himself had under Lienbow's tutelage) and to celebrate was throwing a party. Of course, due to his status as the guest of honor, he had to escort a noble lady to the party and he'd elected to ask Clare, who'd squealed an affirmative before fainting out of excitement. Upon finding out about the incident, Udonna was pleased as a peacock that her niece's dreams of dating the Yellow Garuda were currently being fulfilled.

On that note, Lienbow and Udonna had continued to be the go-betweens of the human and magical worlds, settling disputes and helping to rebuild the Mystical Realm with its multiple dimensions, all of which had been negatively affected in some way or form by the stream of seemingly endless battles with Infershia (the term Underworld had been discarded in place of the dark realm's real name some time ago). Daggeron was training Chip and his newest protégé, one Justin Stewart (he'd showed great magical potential when he'd been in Rootcore during the last Ranger Reunion) with Jenji's input and Phineas and Leelee traveled with Lienbow and Udonna, both on the hunt for other Troblins. Toby and Nikki were kept busy with Rock Porium and its new employees, plus their adopted son, a five-year old former orphan named Graham.

"Hey there," Vida commented looking up from the kitchen table, which was currently covered in a mass of compact disks, files of sheet music, labels, a string of headphones hooked up to miniature CD players and iPods, plus a miniature laptop computer to round up the collection. Strains of classical music mixed with jazz and pop could be heard emanating from the laptop. Cool gray eyes winked at a pair of chocolate orbs in greeting.

"Hey yourself." Xander dropped a kiss on Vida's head, quickly twining the flower into his wife's hair with a few deft finger movements, by now a common ritual. After this, he went to get a glass of water, ducking the rolled up ball of paper that came flying his way. He smirked. No matter how comfortable he and Vida were as a married couple, he loved that he still had the ability to irritate her like no tomorrow. It was a throwback to their days as Rock Porium employees when everything he did was to get her attention and now that he had it he'd go through Infershia and back to keep it.

"How'd it go today?" Vida asked absently hanging a set of bright yellow and orange earphones (a gift from Chip, of course) around her neck, picking up a pencil. She ignored the flower's presence in her hair; secretly, she thought it kind of romantic that Xander continued to give her flowers every day, and had gotten to the point where she just ignored their presence in her hair and later took them out (the vase of various flowers on a nearby kitchen counter belayed this fact). She turned off the musical mix and began drawing whole, quarter, and half notes onto a blank piece of sheet music, bobbing her head to some tune that only she could hear.

Xander shrugged. "As well as can be, V. Trent an' I are having trouble finding a backer." He shook his head. "Bloody bastards are afraid to invest in some dinky little company." Xander and Trent Fernandez-Mercer had joined forces to create a small comic-book company, but they were having trouble finding a backer that was not Trent's adopted father as his input, while welcomed, wasn't really all that good for encouraging other people's confidence in the company.

"Sucks for you," Vida sing-songed, a glint in her eyes. Xander cocked an eyebrow, sensing a challenge. Vida scribbled something else on the sheet music before grabbing a pen and tracing the pencil markings so they wouldn't smear. After a few minutes of silence, she remarked, "Any chance of finding someone else?"

Xander had, by now, moved so that he was leaning over Vida's shoulder, eyes roving the music. Ignoring the previous question, he asked instead, "Anything good, love?"

Vida scoffed before rolling her eyes. "Don't know. I'll have to talk to Tanya and Kira before I know." After a few minutes of pen-scribbles, she threw the headphones onto the table in disgust. "The muse isn't talking; hasn't been for a while."

"You okay?" Xander was concerned. His Pink Sprite usually had mountain-loads of inspiration; but lately, it'd dried up. Nothing she did was able to restore it, and for that he was worried.

"Does it look like it?" Vida hissed moving through mounds of papers. "I can't write anything good; it's all crap, the music's out of tune and I just can't think anymore!" She moved to sweep everything off the table in one fell swoop, but Xander quickly grabbed her in his arms, holding her tight despite her struggling to get free.

"Let me go, Xander," Vida snarled eyes snapping dangerously. Where Xander might once have acquiesced to the request, he now stood his ground.

"V, if you do that you're going to regret it in the morning," Xander responded his eyes looking into his wife's. "What's wrong, love? Something else's going on, and I want to know what."

Vida didn't move for a moment but, all of a sudden, she pushed Xander away from her and defensively wrapped her arms around herself. Xander watched anxiously as his Sprite began to pace, a wide array of emotions moving through her eyes. The Tiger Lily seemed to want to fall out of Vida's hair, but it somehow stayed in place.

"I was at the doctor's office today," Vida said suddenly interrupting the tense silence.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Xander asked getting a tad impatient at how long Vida was taking to get to the point. He moved to feel her forehead but she ducked out of the way, causing his irritation level to rise.

"Not quite," Vida whispered stopping in front of her husband. Lifting her eyes to meet his nervously, she took a breath and said, "The doctor told me that I was, that we're going to, um, well," the stuttering worried Xander even more. She took another breath before blurting out, "I'm pregnant."

Xander blinked rapidly trying to absorb what he had just heard. 'V's pregnant? Then that means that, well, that I'm going to be a dad…'

Xander must have taken too long to formulate a response because Vida's eyes clouded over with anger. She turned to leave the kitchen, a string of insults on the tip of her tongue. However, she didn't expect Xander to pull her against him, almost crushing her.

"Xan, can't breathe." The hug was ended but she was spun around and, looking up into the chocolate eyes that she had come to love didn't see anything. "Xander?"

"You're sure, V?" The eyes were now filled with concern.

Vida nodded still entranced by Xander's eyes. "Yeah, she said that I'm like a month and a half along."

Xander merely smiled before gently kissing her, smirking when the kiss was returned. When they broke apart, he asked, "Who else knows?"

Vida, now grinning at the stupidity of her earlier anger shrugged while wrapping her arms around Xander's broad shoulders. "No one as I figured that it was only right to tell you first." She pressed a kiss to Xander's mouth and the gentleness soon gave way to passion. As Xander and Vida stumbled towards the bedroom, Xander was sure that he had the best life ever, and as he leaned down to kiss his wife again he paused absently noting that the flower had fallen from Vida's hair and was now on the floor. Ignoring it, he went to kiss Vida again but heard a sound. He lifted his head and turned it, looking for the source of the sound that had invaded his life…

_**Bly Residence, May 11, 2007, 6:30 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

The shrill sound of Xander's alarm clock threw the Minotaur onto the floor of his bedroom, a mess of pillows and blankets falling around him. A tanned hand quickly rose into the air and threw the electrical device at the nearest wall. He blinked rapidly looking around the room for the paintings done by his cousin Kat as a wedding gift to Vida and him, for the lithographs from the Aquitian Rangers as an apology for their not being able to meet the happy couple previous to their marriage, the blues and greens of the landscapes from the water world creating a comforting aura in the room, the furnishings that he and Vida had chosen together. The room only had a single bed instead of the King he'd invested in when Vida had first moved in, and there was no closet, merely two armoires, one covered with hair and skin products, the other his drawing supplies.

"Oh no…" Xander muttered eyes widening. "Please, spirits, don't tell me that it was all a dream." He looked around once more followed by his getting to his feet, moving around and looking for any signs that he was being tricked. Vida had a tendency to do that to mess with him and, unfortunately, succeeded almost every time. He choked up when he remembered the entirety of his dream and frantically began pulling apart his armoires, looking for his maternal grandmother's jewelry box, knowing that Vida's engagement ring had come straight from it.

'Please don't let it be here,' Xander thought as he set the large box gently on his bed. Opening it, he felt his eyes tear up when the ring, a pink diamond set among a field of green emeralds and white quartz set on gold was nestled dead and center in the box.

"No. No, no, no!" Xander closed the lid and slid to the floor of his room, hands going to cover his eyes tears falling down his face. "It really was a dream… stupid bloody dreams. Tempting me like that." Then, a brainstorm emerged. "Tempting, huh? Well, that can be arranged." Quicker than imaginable, Xander changed into some decent clothes, locked his bedroom door (and, for good measure, blockaded it with one of his armoires) and, grabbing his Morpher chanted a short transportation spell. A dull green Spell Circle appeared underneath him and within seconds he was standing in Vida Rocca's bedroom (she and Maddie had received their own rooms a few months previous when their father had lost a game of poker with the twins and at this moment, Xander was praising every spirit he knew for that stroke of good luck).

"V, wake up," Xander whispered moving over to where the Sprite slept, hair tinted pale pink.

"Xan, what the hell?" Vida's eyes cracked open only to groan when she caught sight of the illuminated numbers. "It's 6:30 in the fucking morning, Xander. What the hell is going on?" She sat up only to have her eyes widen substantially in shock when her teammate forcefully kissed her. After a moment of hesitation, she returned the kiss with just as much fervor and passion.

"Xan, what was that?" Vida whispered pressing butterfly kisses along the Minotaur's jaw.

Xander smirked as he caught Vida's chin in one hand and kissed her again. "Insurance, V, that my dream comes true."


	53. Theme 53: History

**A/N: **So, sorry about taking me long to update; real life interfered again, as did attempting to find a nice, non-temporary full-time job. Anyway, here's theme; after this, 7 more to go! Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Code Busters")**

**Theme 53: _History _**

_**Rootcore, September 8, 2006, 10:30 AM – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Udonna's POV

"What are you doing, Chip?" I asked making my way down the stairs from the second floor of Rootcore. While the area was indeed the Mystic Force's headquarters, it was also Clare's and my home; as such, we had our own private rooms on the second level.

The ginger-haired Garuda looked up from one of the computer monitors that I had previously installed on a whim after visiting the human realm a few months previous. "Looking."

"Looking for what?" My tone was light but I was intent on discovering what exactly my Yellow Ranger wished to discover, just in case I found it necessary to guide him away from any and all tomes or collections of Dark Magic.

Chip typed something else in before replying, "The history of the Power Rangers." I was intrigued now.

"You mean that there were other Power Rangers?" I asked, amazed. Chip nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! There were several, like the Ninja Storm team in Blue Bay Harbor, the Dino Thunders in Reefside, Lightspeed Rescue out of Mariner Bay, Mighty Morphin' in Angel Grove, and so many others!" He was literally jumping in his seat out of excitement. "According to V, Xander's cousin Kat's the Pink Zeo Ranger, first Pink Turbo and second Pink Mighty Morphin', and she's been helping Vida get acclimated to the color Pink." He frowned but it vanished in an instance. "In fact, Kat's been attempting to get us all together with her team for a jam session."

"I see," I responded head tilted. "If you have this Kat's help, then why do you wish to know about the Power Rangers?"

Chip turned around and, realizing his mistake laughed. "Oh, sorry Udonna. Wrong Rangers. I meant the warriors that came before us." I sucked in a breath. "You know, the ones who helped to end the original war between the Underworld and the Mystical Realm like in that tale a few days ago."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you some items of information," I responded after a moment grief striking me in the chest. "I will warn you, Chip, that what I am about to say may not be repeated to the other Rangers until I give you permission. They are not prepared emotionally or spiritually to know this. You are by way of independent investigations into your history as Mystic Warriors in-training and your strength and determination to fulfill your destiny. Once the others have done the same, they will be rewarded with the same information that I am about to tell you."

"Alright," Chip responded making himself comfortable. "Whenever you're ready, Udonna."

I took a deep breath, commanding myself to calm down. I was the Sorceress of Ice and Snow, after all! I could do this. "Thirty years ago, I was a young sorceress-in-training with my sister Niella to our mother, a powerful sorceress in her own right. I soon discovered to have the power of Ice and Snow while Niella," I looked over at Chip and added without thinking, "Clare's mother, was destined to become something more, of which I shall not mention." I thought for a moment then continued, "During my training, I met many interesting warriors, among them the five who would defeat the encroaching Darkness. The Darkness had been emerging from the depths of Infershia, or the Underworld, for years. Prophecy foretold of five Mystic Warriors who would have the power to defeat the Darkness and save not only the Mystical Realm but that of the Human as well.

"The first warrior was Red," I knew that I couldn't mention Lienbow's name or his relationship to me yet; the pain was still too raw after many years, and information such as that given to rookie Mystics could have horrible consequences, particularly if the warriors' real names were given. "He had the power of fire, such as Nick does now. He was fierce and honorable, a knight to the bitter end." I paused noting that Chip was transfixed to every word coming out of my mouth. "The second warrior was Green and, like Xander, he had control over not only the Earth but trees and flowers. His powers were so strong that he could easily cause an acorn to sprout into a fifty-foot oak tree in a matter of minutes." I smiled gently at the memory of the last time my dear friend had done that. "In fact, he would do this in numerous attempts to impress the Pink Warrior, who often turned her nose up at the acts. Secretly, however, Pink was enamored with Green; this she confided in me a few days before the Final Battle. Pink herself could initiate and end hurricanes with just the snap of her fingers. Yellow was an excellent lightning-wielder, one of the most powerful Sorceresses of Thunder and Lightning in existence." I smiled at Chip. "She was an excellent wielder, and one of my best friends, energetic and optimistic during even the dourest of times. Blue, on the other hand, was a stoic individual, at times prone to bouts of brooding and utter silence. However, like his element, water, he tended to move quickly if angered; one day, he almost caused a tsunami when he lost his temper at Green during a little spat. He and Yellow were married and expecting just before the commencement of the Final Battle."

"Wow," Chip breathed. This was so fascinating! Why couldn't they learn about this kind of history instead of who won the Thirty Years' War?!

I smiled. The grief, though it was still in my heart, it wasn't as strong as it once was. Perhaps talking about the past was a good method of relaxation and healing after all; I would have to thank Clare for mentioning it to me. "Yes, it is. However," my mood turned dark, "during the Final Battle, they were all lost. Yellow was hit in the stomach and she bled to death in Blue's arms, losing the child in the process. Blue died of heartbreak soon after, willingly giving himself up to Morticon and his forces. Pink and Green fought side-by-side and managed to take out many of the Darkness' forces before being brought down. Pink's arm was torn off at the shoulder and Green lost a leg; despite this, they continued to fight and the last that I saw of them was when they were dying, arm-in-arm. I never discovered what happened to Red."

Chip's mouth hung open in shock, but when I finished, he snapped it closed. After a moment, he asked haltingly, "Udonna, do you think that, well, that we'll end up the same way?"

I looked at him before replying softly, "Spirits above, Chip, I hope not. The worlds need their protectors, as I don't think that they can survive otherwise. My friends, as strong as they were, fell because they had not prepared enough. I believe that you, Chip, and your friends will be the ones to fulfill the Ancients' prophecy, despite the odds that are stacked against you."

Chip nodded in acceptance then, thinking of something else to ask her opened his mouth. "Udonna, this is going to sound strange, but do you think that history will repeat itself in regards to romantic relationships?"

I started. "Why in Magitopia would you ask that, Chip?"

Ignoring the weird name "Magitopia" and the feeling that he'd heard the word before Chip continued, "I mean, well, I know that Maddie's infatuated with Nick and Xander and Vida are always out to impress each other. I just want them all to be happy."

I smiled, knowing now the real reason for his question. "As powerful as I am, Chip, even I do not know the fate of teenagers' hearts, even that of my own niece." That would get him wondering; she'd seen the way that her niece looked at Chip and had decided to "help" the process along... without the latter's knowledge, of course. "Now, I do believe that you were meeting Vida for something this afternoon?"

Chip started; shit, he'd forgotten about that! "Yeah, that's right. Bye Udonna!" The Garuda gathered up his bag and threw on his cape, running out of Rootcore.

As I watched one of my protégés leave, I reflected upon his last question. 'I suppose that history _has_ repeated itself at times, and while I hope that they will defeat the Underworld and save both the Mystical and Human Realms, I am almost one hundred sure that one aspect will repeat itself.' I glanced at the computer and, snapping my fingers pulled the memory I wished to watch onto the screen. My new protégés were all gathered outside of the Mystical Forest, just before they had entered the woods to embrace their destinies. Xander had just driven up in Vida's jeep with Madison, and Vida instantly attacked him, accusing him of stealing her jeep just because his was in the shop and un-drivable. 'I am most definitely not an expert in teenage hormones (Clare was an exception as she was easy to read), but even _I _could sense the sexual tension between the Green and Pink Rangers.'

"The exact same start," I murmured after a moment, feeling the liquid moisture gather at the edges of my eyes. Through blurred eyes, I could see my friends of almost two decades previous, the Green and Pink Mystics arguing over the ownership of a rogue broomstick that both of them had laid claim to at once. "My friends, how I miss you, but perhaps, in your place, they shall thrive."


	54. Theme 54: Worst-Case Scenario

**A/N: **I am going to say this once and only once. Any similarity in this theme to the _Twilight Saga _and its idea of vampires is purely coincidental. So, do not think me a copycat; this is how I see vampires.

**A/N #2:** First off, sorry that this is so late; I got a new job and work really long hours, so I'm exhausted when I get home. Secondly, I've been trying to work on my list of other stories, but real life's been a bitch. Summarized, sorry about the long wait for the update; enjoy this long-awaited chapter!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Dark Wish III")**

**Theme 54: _Worst-Case Scenario _**

_**Alley off Main Street, March 24, 2007, 10:30 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

The world was all black, white and shades of gray, and yet, blood continued to remain red. The Rangers, after having been ousted from the Tribunal of Magic's domain had found themselves in the middle of a battle between Necrolai and some young gang members, with the Queen of the Vampires winning the spat. Blood was spattered on the ground, its bright red color disconcerting in a world where all other color had vanished.

"This sucks," Chip muttered to no one in particular, hiding behind a dumpster. He took a banana peel and shrugged, throwing it onto the street, hoping against hope that Necrolai would slip on it and get a concussion so they could steal Jenji back and return the world to normal.

"Shut up!" Vida hissed eyes narrowed. "Don't make it worse than it is already!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" came a honey-sweet voice and the now powerless Rangers glanced up in horror. Necrolai smirked at them, a vicious gleam in her eyes.

"Necrolai!" Nick spat eyes flaring. He automatically swept his arm from the left to the right side only to scowl angrily when the wave of fire didn't materialize. The Queen laughed.

"My, my. How quaint and ...amusing. Poor little Red Ranger has no magic," Necrolai taunted wagging a finger as if Nick was a toddler being scolded. "In fact, I see five poor, poor pitiful Rangers, with no magic to be found anywhere!" Necrolai cackled sending chills down the spines of the five Rangers.

"We'll get our magic back and beat you!" Vida declared stepping forward. However, when Necrolai turned her gaze to her, Vida felt nervous, almost as if bats or butterflies were flying around in her stomach.

"Well, if isn't little Miss Vampire," Necrolai stated walking towards the Sprite. Running a nailed finger down Vida's face, she leered. "How nice of you to return to me."

"She'd never do that!" Xander declared moving faster than the others had ever seen him and placing Vida behind him in a bid to try to protect her.

Necrolai merely cackled. "I appreciate the humor, boy, but I'm afraid that you're too late."

Before Xander could retort he felt something hit him on the head. Stumbling forward, he turned around and he hissed. "V." Vida's eyes had turned bright red and a menacing grin was on her face. White fangs glinted in the dim sunlight that was able to filter through the gray clouds. Madison gasped while Chip and Nick stared on in shock, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

"Vida, don't do this! You're not dark, you're not evil!" Xander grabbed Vida's shoulders, shaking her to try to snap her out of the trance that Necrolai had placed her into. However, as his hands touched her shoulders he screamed in pain as Vida raked her claws across his side, bright flecks of red blood flying everywhere. Xander fell to his knees in pain, looking up through increasingly blurry eyes as Vida licked the blood off her fingers, smirking.

"Such a nice taste," Vida declared eyes looking at Xander hungrily. She then looked at Necrolai and asked, "May I have another taste, my Mistress?" Necrolai looked thoughtful but only for a second.

"Very well." She waved a clawed hand absently. "Do what you will with him." The Queen of the Vampires turned and began walking back out of the alleyway. "Do come find me when you are finished with him." A cackle was her token as the Queen leapt into the air to examine another part of the city and search for survivors to eliminate.

"V, don't," Xander pleaded eyes wide. By now, Madison, Chip and Nick had run over and were trying to stave the bleeding. Madison's jacket was pressed against the Green Ranger's side in an effort to prevent more blood loss. However, the material was quickly being stained dark red.

"My Mistress tells me to dispose of you," Vida stated after a moment crouching down so that she was eye level with the four Rangers. "However, I have another idea." With these words, she ran a nail down her forearm, drawing blood. This blood, however, was tinted blue and so, when mixed with the red became a shade of purple. With the faintest of frowns, Vida took her own blood and, moving slowly (but gently) pushed Madison out of the way. Drawing aside the jacket, she dabbed her blood into Xander's wound, the gashes sizzling and closing before the shocked Rangers' eyes. Chip chanced a glance at Vida's forearm and gulped upon realizing that it had already closed.

Standing, Vida's now pale red eyes regarded the fallen Green Ranger and calmly said, "My blood has healed your wounds and saved your life, Green one, but in return for my generosity, you will feel the need to consume some kind of blood at every Full Moon from now on." She turned to go but paused when a hand landed on her arm.

"Vida, please. Don't go!" Madison pleaded tears falling down her face. It was killing her that her twin, with whom she had shared everything, was leaving her. If they defeated Necrolai, would that return Vida to her senses? Was this a permanent good-bye? Madison didn't want to know; she just wanted her sister back.

"Vida, you're the Pink Ranger. You can't leave us," Nick pointed out as he and Chip helped a pale Xander to his feet.

Vida scoffed throwing her tinted hair to the side with an errant flick of her fingers. "I was the Pink Ranger at one time, but now, I am just plain Vida, servant to the great Necrolai." She faced away from the Rangers for a moment before turning around fully. Eyes searching the four sets that were looking at her, she added, "For the past and the times I shared with you, I am sparing your lives when it was my right as victor in battle to claim yours." She directed this last part to Xander, who still appeared weak. Her look softened. "If the spirits allow it, and if my Mistress permits it, I may one day return to you. Until then," she quickly hugged Nick and Chip, let Madison wrap her in a bone-crushing hug for about five minutes, listening with a blank expression to the Mermaid's promises that they'd figure out a way to rescue her and then paused in front of Xander, and, tilting her head said, "I bid you a fond farewell." She gently and softly kissed the Minotaur, her fang subtly poking his lips to taste his blood, the blood of her supposed mate once more.

With that, Vida spun around and walked out of the alleyway, leaving behind four shocked and powerless Rangers, who would go on to figure out a way to regain their magical and Ranger powers. However, when all was said and done, it was with a heavy heart that the four warriors realized that Vida was never going to come back to them.


	55. Theme 55: Wish

**A/N: **This theme is broken up into two parts: one that takes place before the two "Gatekeeper" episodes and part of it afterwards. Therefore, Clare is featured heavily. Sorry it's so short. Enjoy!

**A/N #2:** I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday season!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Gatekeeper I" and after "Gatekeeper II")**

**Theme 55: _Wish _**

_**Rootcore, October 24, 2006, 7:30 AM – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Clare's POV

I couldn't help but stare. That simple headband was so elegant... and to think that it belonged to my mother, Udonna's sister, well, that scares me. I mean, does that mean that I will become the Gatekeeper? Does it mean that I have the power to seal and unseal the gates of Infershia, of the Underworld? Clumsy, can't-get-a-spell-right-to-save-my-life Clare? An enchantress of the highest caliber and daughter of the most famous Gatekeeper in the Mystical Realms? Please, don't make me laugh. I'm sure that the circlet's meant for someone who's stronger, like my friends. I sure hope it's not me, 'cause with my luck I'd wreck everything.

As I tilt my head to more closely examine the circlet that Udonna's forbidden me from ever touching, I can't help but wish that I was strong. I want to be strong, like the rest of the Rangers, like Vida and Madison. They didn't grow up with magic but are already using it to save the Human and Magical Worlds! Me, well, I've been a Sorceress-in-training for most of my life and yet I still can't get a simple Transfiguration Spell right. It's so not fair... Wait. What was that? That beam of moonlight, it's like it's winking at me, but that can't be... right? I mean, moonbeams don't just appear and start winking at people... right?

Man, I am _so_ seeing things, which doesn't exactly make my day. Maybe I just need some more sleep...

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_**Rootcore, October 28, 2006, 7:30 am – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

Four days later, and I_ still _can't believe it! I'm the new Gatekeeper! Me, Clare! I've been tasked with the responsibility and power to keep an eye on the Gates of Infershia to ensure that no other icky creatures from below escape. I _finally _have the chance to be strong and prove myself to my friends and the entirety of the Mystical Realms, who've long made fun of me for my clumsiness and inability to perform one spell correctly. The Journal that Chip and the others gifted to me is helping a bit, but most of my passages right now are really just incantations in numerous languages, put down to help me remember them. I guess I should write a real entry soon...

So. My first wish came true: I was given the powers needed to prove myself a strong and capable witch. I am here now, watching my inheritance twinkle at me in my room. Udonna wanted to keep me away from it, but for once I won an argument with her. I will train myself efficiently and effectively so that I will be worthy of my mother's legacy. However, in that respect, I do have one more wish.

There it is! That same beam of moonlight that gave me the opportunity to do something spectacular with my life! Now, if only I can harness its power again... yes!

As I stare into the ball of moonbeams collected in the palms of my hands, I can't help but wish that my friends and I find happiness with others. I guess I am what Udonna calls a "romantic;" I just so love seeing people together! It's not right when someone's miserable without their soul mate. I blush as I think of Chip, my knight. I do so hope that he sees me as a lady someday... oh, and Nick and Maddie _so _belong together! She likes him and, I mean, when someone is able to convince a random stranger to stay in town and then ends up being a column of support for said guy that _has_ to mean something!

Xander and Vida, well, I love them both to death. Vida's one of my best friends and Xander is such a flirt that I find it funny when he starts up with me. He's like a brother to me. Therefore, I guess it only right to wish that they both find someone that they can depend on for life... I mean, if I'm happy, then they deserve to be as well. Then again, maybe if they'd stop fighting and picking fights with each other all the time they'd realize that perhaps, just maybe, they belong together...

As I release the ball of moonlight back into the sky, I pray that the spirits answer my wishes and make them come true. For now, though, I think that I'll start working on that new spell that Udonna's told me to look at; hopefully, this time, without turning myself into a sheep.


	56. Theme 56: Triumph

**A/N: **... I think I had _too_ much fun with this theme…

**A/N #2: **Sorry about the wait on this; real life and work 55 hours a week took over. I hope you enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Once a Ranger")**

**Theme 56: _Triumph _**

_**Living Room, Hartford Mansion, April 5, 2008, 11:30 AM – San Angeles, CA, USA**_

The "Retro Rangers" and Overdrive Rangers were all currently partaking in a celebration of the defeat of Thrax and his "Alliance of Evil". As glasses of fruit punch, alcohol, water and various other beverages came together, wishes of "May the Power Protect You" and "May the Spirits Bless You Wherever You Shall Go" emerged from the friends' mouths, and conversation soon turned to an examination of the future.

"So, what's next for you guys?" Dax asked mouth full of chocolate chip cookie (Mack had successfully pleaded with Spencer to bake his famous cookies and the eleven Rangers all agreed that they were some of the best that had ever been made). Crumbs sprayed everywhere from his mouth and at a look from Kira Dax quickly swallowed his food and apologized.

Adam shrugged. "I'm heading home with Alpha 6 here to Stone Canyon to my dojo, "The Ape and Frog". My buddy Rocky DeSantos' has been running it for close to a month now, and I'm sure that he's itching for some off time with his wife."

"Any family?" Rose asked politely black eyes taking in the sight of eleven Rangers lounging around in the living room of the Hartford Mansion as if they all had been living there all their lives.

"I've got a wife, Tanya, and a son named Willis," Adam responded a grin lighting his features as he thought about his family, whom he'd called every night so he wouldn't worry about them while he was gone. "Willis is about three now."

"He sounds adorable," Ronny exclaimed placing her cookie down on a nearby plate (Will snatched it when the Yellow Ranger wasn't looking). "Do you have a picture?"

Adam held up a finger as he dug out his wallet and, flipping through it took out a much-creased photograph, which showed just how much he had looked at the photo when he was away from home. The little boy featured had short black hair, black eyes and a skin tone that was a few shades darker than Adam's. He was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a dark green polo shirt, his toothy grin displayed for all to see. Holding him was a regal-looking woman in a blouse of goldenrod yellow, complete with a pair of black dress slacks. A grin lit up her face, making her eyes sparkle; her short brown hair was held in place with a pale yellow ribbon.

"He's absolutely adorable, Adam!" Tori exclaimed as she stole the photograph from Ronny to examine it, with Kira nudging Mack out of the way to look at it as well. Adam merely grinned.

"I'm heading back to Reefside University," Kira put in after giving Adam the photograph back, eyes looking around. "Thank god my professors bought the whole "Family Emergency" stint so that I could be here. Otherwise, I think that there's a good chance I could have been expelled."

"Sorry about that," Mack apologized hazel eyes glancing around sheepishly. The other Overdrive Rangers apologized as well. Kira waved off the apologies.

"It's not your fault, guys. Besides, if Dr. O had been called back to action then he'd have missed about a month of teaching itty-bitty teenagers science. He'd have been devastated." A smirk punctuated her last comment indicating that she barely believed her own words, hilarious that they were.

Adam chuckled. "I still can't believe that Tommy got a Ph.D. in paleontology."

"Why?" Xander asked head tilted sideways. "I think Dr. Oliver's a smart guy." His predecessor shook his head mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Science-teacher Tommy is vastly different from high-school Tommy," was all that Adam would say, promising that he'd tell the whole story at the next Power Rangers Reunion, which would be held in Stone Canyon around July 4th. Adam also promised that he'd get Tommy's girlfriend Kim Hart and best friend Jason Lee Scott to add their input to the story.

"How about the rest of you?" Will questioned an arm casually slung behind Ronny.

Xander shook his head, looking at the ceiling. "I'm headin' to Turtle Cove to get back to classes. Like Kira, I am infinitely glad that they bought my "Family Emergency" excuses." Looking back at the gathered Rangers he winked. "'Course, I'd be glad if some of you lovely ladies accompanied me back there."

Tori smacked him. "Xander! Don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, but V'd understand."

Tyzonn tilted his head in confusion. "V? You're girlfriend's name is the letter V?"

Xander blinked before shaking his head. "No, her name's Vida. Nickname's V." Tyzonn still looked confused and honestly, Xander didn't really want to explain it to the Mercurian; rather, he didn't know _how_ to explain it without metaphorically ending up with his tongue in knots.

Kira raised an eyebrow at the Green Mystic Ranger. "You're telling me that Vida will understand if word gets back to her that you were flirting with other women?"

Xander backtracked. "What I mean is that we're not exclusive."

"So, if Vida's going out with some other guy, you'd not be jealous?" Bridge asked a piece of buttery toast in his hand.

Xander shook his head in the negative, showcasing that he'd be fine with the concept. Inwardly, though, he was incensed at the idea that Vida would prefer some other guy over _him_, Xander the Great. It was just not done!

Adam shook his head as he took a drink from his water. He'd volunteered to give rides to the two women (meaning that he couldn't drink any alcoholic beverages as intoxicated Rangers and moving vehicles didn't mix) whereas Xander was going to use a Teleportation Spell to get back to Turtle Cove and, maybe, help Bridge repair his one-person Time Ship so he could head back to the future. On that note...

"Bridge, feel free to say no to this question," Adam began chancing a glance at the Red SPD Ranger. "Is there any rule out there forbidding you to reveal any parts of the future to us?"

Bridge blinked having not anticipated this question. Sure, Z and Syd had both warned him about blurting out their futures to their parents (it'd been discovered that Z had been kidnapped from the hospital upon her birth by an old rival of her father for the affections of her mother; her reunion with Black Wild Force Ranger Daniel Delgado had been heart-wrenching. Bridge knew this because he'd been the one to arrange it), with Sky asking him not to do anything that would come back to bite him in the ass. He'd promised... but really, what would the harm be?

"Well, I guess I can tell you guys _some_ things," Bridge began slowly putting his toast down onto the plate, the last of a rather large stack that Spencer had graciously made for him. "But, I mean, I hope that what I tell you doesn't screw up the future because then Z, Syd and Sky'd have my ass strung high on a pole for all to see. I guess it's the equivalent to the Medieval European Kings placing the heads of their enemies on a pike in front of the palace for all to see and as a warning to other enemies not to do anything else." He looked up and saw ten concerned and confused looks. Chuckling sheepishly, Bridge shrugged. Secretly, though, he was worried that he'd blurt something out that would necessitate him having to erase his new friends' memories. Kruger had insisted that he bring a smaller version of the device used to erase memories with him to preserve the timeline and he really, really, _really_ hoped that he wouldn't have to use it.

"Do you usually vomit words?" Will asked, amused. Ronny elbowed him hard for his comment, causing the normally confident Black Ranger to falter a flash of pain moving across his face in the process.

Bridge ignored the jab and took a deep breath, wondering just what he could reveal...then he got it. "Alright, here it goes." He turned to the Overdrive Rangers. "First, just so you guys know, you do win the battle and save the Corona Aurora." The Overdrive Rangers' grins could have lit a dark stadium as they exchanged high-fives and congratulations.

Next, Bridge turned to Adam. "Your dojo becomes world-famous for producing champion upon champion, all of whom win major martial arts tournaments. Later, you combine your gym with the "Red Dragon Dojo" and "Flying Crane Gymnastics" for an all-encompassing gymnasium-dojo style setup." Adam shrugged a smile lingering on his face.

"Rocky and I were planning to do that sometime in the future, anyway, and can I assume that Kim builds "Flying Crane Gymnastics"?" After a moment's hesitation, Bridge nodded causing Adam's grin to widen. "Great. Always knew that Kim could teach."

"How about me?" Tori asked blue eyes serious. When Bridge told her that she'd become the world-famous surfer she'd always wanted to be, eventually taking on the most dangerous wave in existence somewhere in Hawaii her grin was infectious. This led Xander to enquire about the possibility of surf lessons and the laughs and chuckles that met his statement. Apparently, Xander had already tried to learn to surf a few years ago from a friend of Tori's, Dill, in Blue Bay Harbor. Needless to say, Xander hadn't fared well.

At Kira's prompting stare, Bridge confessed that her singing was going to take off and she was going to completely re-forge her friendship with Kylie Stiles. The Yellow Pterodactyl grinned and began planning what she'd say to Kylie to convince her to do another song with her for the next album.

'So far so good,' Bridge thought stuffing a piece of his toast into his mouth to calm his nerves. 'Nothing I've said so far is _too_ revealing; really, most of them were en route to this anyway.'

"What about me, Bridge?" Xander asked his fellow Green (well, actually, he was now Red and had been Blue, but Bridge had confessed quietly that no matter what color he was, he always felt the most comfortable in Green).

Bridge hesitated, wondering what he could say. He knew that he couldn't tell Xander about how he and Trent's designs had been the original versions of SPD uniforms when Kruger first brought the organization to New Tech City, and he certainly couldn't tell him that he'd be one of the Original SPD Rangers. So, hmm, what to say?

"Well," Bridge began slowly eyes flitting back and forth from Xander to the rest of the Rangers. "You finish your time at Turtle Cove University and earn a Master's Degree in Studio Arts."

Xander leaned forward, frowning. "That's it?! That's all I do with my life?!" He leaned forward even more, unknowingly invading Bridge's personal space, causing the Red Ranger to sweat. "C'mon Bridge, there _has_ to be something else that I do with my life!"

"Well, uh," Bridge was very nervous now. Xander was unknowingly causing him pain as the close proximity that the magic-wielder was in with his powers caused them to act up, the emotions and auras of all the people in the room viewable to him at once. Training during his time as a cadet had revealed that a lack of distance with magic-wielders had the potential to destabilize Bridge's control over his powers, meaning pain and massive headaches for the SPD Ranger.

"Xander, back off," Mack said slowly reaching out to tug the Green Mystic Ranger away from Bridge. Xander ducked though and asked Bridge again to tell him something else that happened in his life.

"You marry Vida, and then have a few kids. This is then followed by your becoming an Instructor at SPD and help found a new generation of Rangers!" Bridge blurted out breathing a sigh of relief as Xander's eyes widened. He abruptly sat back in his seat, a stunned expression on his face. After a few minutes when Xander didn't say anything, Bridge cautiously asked, "Xander? Are you okay?"

Tori snapped her fingers in front of Xander's eyes before proclaiming in mock seriousness, "You broke him, Bridge."

"Come on, Xander. It can't be all that bad," Dax commented reaching for another cookie. "From what I've heard, it's a win on your part. Vida's kind of hot." Dax suddenly leapt backwards over the couch to avoid a tackle from Xander, whose eyes were burning bright green.

"Calm down! I was just repeating something you said!" Dax protested dodging another flying tackle from the Green Mystic. As the rest of the Rangers scrambled to either get Dax out of range from Xander's attacks or get the Green Ranger under control, Adam was shocked to realize that he had heard about burning green eyes before.

'Shit, it's just like Jason was saying when he talked about Tommy's days as the Evil Green Ranger or when Kim was threatened. It's like Xander's possessed!' With that thought, Adam leapt into action, waiting until his successor flew past him to make his move. With one extended arm, Adam grabbed the back of Xander's tee shirt and tackled him to the ground, one arm pinning the Green Mystic by the neck, the other twisting an arm behind his back.

"Calm yourself, Xander," Adam commanded and as the Green Mystic struggled he added, "Now, Dax was just commenting on something he heard you say earlier. He is _not _a rival for Vida's affections. Right?" He glanced at Dax, who nodded feverishly in agreement eyes wide. "See? Dax knows that Vida's yours, and you know that too. Calm down." After a few minutes, Xander stopped struggling and as the Overdrive Rangers, Kira and Tori watched, fascinated, his bright green eyes faded to their usual chocolate brown.

"There. Calm now, right?" Upon getting a nod, Adam gradually helped his successor up from the ground, holding onto his arm until he was one hundred percent sure that the Green Mystic wasn't going to attempt to tackle Dax now that the Blue Overdrive's guard was down. Apparently, Eric had pulled that trick on Wes when one of their fellow Silver Guardians had remarked that the Quantum Ranger's fiancée Taylor Earhardt was smoking hot; the poor man hadn't been released from the hospital for five weeks due to the amount of injuries he'd sustained.

Xander took a deep breath, wondering just what in Infershia he'd been thinking. He shook his head, trying to free it from the cloud of irrational anger that it'd been under just a few short minutes before. Glancing around, he noted the shocked looks he was getting and berated himself for losing his cool and, therefore, his temper.

"Sorry guys. I don't know what came over me."

"You were jealous," Adam remarked letting go of Xander's arm. "Tommy went through it as well. In fact, all of us male Rangers go through it at one time or another, depending on the situation. For Tommy, his eyes glowed green, like yours, but first it was because he was evil; then, it became the signal that Kim was in danger and he had to rescue her."

Xander semi-consciously listened to Adam's words, knowing that they were true. Looking at Dax, he quickly apologized before turning to Bridge, intending to ask the Red SPD Ranger to repeat his prediction of the future when he was hit by a white beam. Shocked, the rest of the Rangers turned to the source only to be hit by the beam as well.

After a moment, Bridge smiled sadly as he reentered the living room, having just finished wiping Andrew Hartford and Spencer's memories of his being part of the "Retro Rangers". He went to leave the mansion but, thinking better of it, grabbed some cookies to bring to Z in New Tech City. Walking towards his Time Ship (the one he'd originally came in was totaled beyond repair; he always carried a spare) he climbed inside and chanced one more glance at the mansion.

"Sorry, guys. I hated having to do that, but Kruger'd have me hung up in chains if I'd not done it." As he pressed a few buttons and toggled a few switches, inputting the sequence and logarithms that would allow him safe passage home to his own time and New Tech City, he added, "Don't worry, Xander. You'll triumph in your life; all of you will. You just have to be patient and, in your case," he paused, smiling, "_General_ Bly, learn to work together with Vida to create the basics of the magical division at SPD." With these words, the Time Ship's thrusters came online and with a belch of smoke and fire, the small silver craft lifted itself into the air and charged into a small, manmade wormhole that would allow Bridge to safely return to his time and home in New Tech City.


	57. Theme 57: Change

**A/N: **This is yet another missing scene; don't you just love them?

**A/N.2: **…Yeah, sorry about the five-month hiatus. I honestly thought I'd updated before today, but apparently I didn't. I am such an idiot… Add to this that the rest of the themes are done and just need added and I am an idiot to the extreme. So, yeah. Sorry about taking so long. Again. Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

**(Takes place during "Return")**

**Theme 57: _Change _**

_**Mystical Forest, April 30, 2007, 5:30 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA**_

**Daggeron's POV**

I watched as Vida's actions slowly sank into the rest of the team's heads, resulting in mass chaos.

"She's a fool!" Nick declared flinging his arms into the air. By now, we'd retreated to the glen where Udonna and I trained the teens. "She trusted that, that _thing _and now she's stolen _your _Solar Streak Megazord Train and gone who in Infershia knows where!" Accusing eyes were set on me, almost as if I was to blame. Hmm. I must keep my temper. No need for the Snow Prince to make another appearance; once was enough.

"Nick, Vida did that for some reason only she knows!" Madison pressed moving next to the Phoenix showing absolute trust in her sister's actions. Placing a hand on his shoulder I wasn't surprised when it was shrugged off. When Bow – excuse me, Nick, became upset and angry he was very hard to calm down.

'Very much like his father.'

"What? She's been brainwashed or something?" Nick shot back embers beginning to spark at his fingertips. Madison's eyes hardened and I could already see the outcome of the standoff: Madison would win and eventually calm Nick down enough for him to see reason.

That would, unfortunately, take a few minutes to do, and time was of the essence in catching up to the rogue Pink Mystic.

I looked over to the other two members of the team who would be affected the most. Chip appeared thoughtful, obviously wanting to believe the very best of his friend. Unfortunately, I had a hunch that my apprentice hadn't a clue as to why the Sprite had run off.

Xander, on the other hand...

The Green Minotaur was leaning against an oak tree, eyebrows furrowed. My suspicions began to take shape. He'd been with Vida for some time before we'd all confronted Matoombo, and therefore, was my number one suspect for explaining what had exactly happened. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be very talkative at the moment.

Then, I had an idea.

"Xander, come with me for a few moments," I said softly as I walked by the teen. Startled, he glanced up at me then at the others, all three of whom were now arguing over Vida's intentions. Random snippets of the three teens' elements began to pierce the air, water seemingly overpowering fire and lightning.

Catching his silent question I answered, "Just you and me." The Minotaur took one last look at his friends before following me deeper into the forest.

After a few moments I struck.

"Xander, what did you and Vida discuss?" I asked after I had subtly cast a _Silence Charm_ to ensure that no one else heard our conversation. Xander seemed too shocked to even notice my move; bad form on his part.

"Nothing, Daggeron."

"Xander, I can sense when you're lying to me," I replied mildly turning to face him. Chocolate eyes darted around nervously, and I could instantly sense what was different, what had changed about the young man.

"Xander, why are you protecting her?" I asked hands at my side to show that I wasn't going to physically force an answer out of him. Past interactions had proved Xander skittish around raised hands during conversation with males in positions of authority; I did not understand why but had elected to trust that the answer would come in time.

"Uh, well," Xander began rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Looking at him, I could see how determined he was to ensure that Vida wasn't going to get in trouble. It was a drastic change, considering that a scant few months previous he would have tattled on the Pink Sprite, hoping to get the honor that came with staying out of trouble.

Now, however, he was risking my wrath to ensure that Vida remained free of blame.

It was an interesting change in personality to be sure, and one that I whole-heartedly approved of; now, however, was not the time for it to be surfacing.

"Xander, she's not in trouble, contrary to Nick's words," I soothed trying to get him to open up to me. Granted, we weren't as close as Chip and myself were, but there was still the bond of trust that existed between mentor and student. It was what held us together.

Hopefully, I would be able to lean on that to get my answers.

"We are all just worried about her, worried about why in the world she took one of the Ten Terrors with her on the Solar Streak Megazord, not to mention that she dragged Jenji along for the ride."

Xander sighed and, glancing up at me stated, "If I tell you, promise you won't freak out?"

I nodded. "Promise."

Of course, I regretted the word as soon as it left my mouth, but it was too late. I could do nothing but stare at Xander as he told me of what Matoombo and Vida wished to do. The concern in his voice, the worry in his eyes showed me just how much he had come to care for the energetic, strong-willed Sprite. How could I have missed it before? It was plain as day on his face. A drastic change had taken place beneath my eyes; how could I have let this shift slip past me? Jenji was sure to tease me when he found out...

"Now what?" Xander asked worry for Vida in every syllable.

I didn't reply too busy attempting to concoct a functioning plan. However, before I could say anything in reply I saw Chip running towards us. Canceling the _Silence Charm_ I listened, awestruck, at the concept of yet _another _of the Ten Terrors wishing to speak to us, not to do harm. Xander's harsh questions gave way to grudging acceptance as Chip's demands as to the nature of Xander's plan were met with no response.

As Xander and I ran back towards the glen I was one hundred percent positive that this whole situation would be resolved and Vida would return to us unharmed. Glancing over at Xander I had an inkling that the Minotaur would come to terms with his feelings for Vida, in the process solidifying the change that he'd been undergoing for months and earning me victory in the bet between Udonna and myself.

That victory was much desired.


End file.
